


Danganronpa: Voyage of the D-Ship

by mjinxlei



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Amateur sleuths, Comedy (I hope), Dark Comedy, Fanganronpa, Murder Mystery, Mystery, No Game/Anime Spoilers, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-14
Updated: 2018-05-14
Packaged: 2019-05-06 21:38:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14656755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mjinxlei/pseuds/mjinxlei
Summary: Seiji Kodo, Super High School Level Cryptanalyst, decided to leave his former life behind to start a new one in the institution known as Hope's Peak Academy. However, something goes awry as he boards the ship that was supposed to take him there, and he finds himself trapped alongside other students in a game of life and death, truth and lies, friendship and betrayal, hope and despair. Will he survive? Or will he succumb to hopelessness?Alternative Universe fic where The Tragedy did not happen. Yet. Who knows? Class Trials will be in a puzzle-like format, so you can "play" like in the real game. Does bulk updates, so don't worry about cliffhangers or anything.





	1. Prologue: Standing at the Crossroads - Part 1

* * *

_“We will miss you, Agent Kagi.”_

Those were the last words **Seiji Kodo** ever heard from the intelligence agency, just as the taxi he was in started its engine and lurched forward. The seventeen-year-old young man briefly glanced back at the casually-dressed middle-aged man with a goofy smile, cheerfully waving as if he just bid goodbye to a nephew who overstayed his welcome. To the passersby, the man was another ordinary adult. To him, the **Super High School Level Cryptanalyst** , he was the chief of the nation’s largest network of spies.

It was a simple kind of farewell, but there was the note of finality in the chief’s voice. He only knew him as Agent Yamato and back then that was adequate information. Seiji realized he never tried to get to know the man better, but then again, he was his boss and he had read about the limits of employer-employee relationships. The passage clearly stated that some bosses were highly conservative of their lives and subordinates should learn to respect that. Seiji knew he passed with flying colors in that specific unspoken rule of employee-ship, as he barely knew the people he had worked with for the past ten years. It was a bit sad in retrospect – he spent most of his childhood with them, but never seemed to nurture even one happy memory with them.

Seiji shook his head, shaking the thoughts off. Whatever happened in the past will remain there, he needed to look forward to the future – _his_ future. Clutching tightly a letter from Hope’s Peak Academy – best Talent-centered school in Japan – and a very customized ticket – it even had _his name_ printed on it – to what was called the D-Ship, Seiji decided to think about the new environment he will be in and how he can fit in. Calling him “socially impaired” is a serious understatement, but he guessed it was high time that he did something about it. Still, worrying about it would not help. He was never optimistic, but he can only hope for the best.

* * *

“Please wait in the boarding area. We will inform you once the ship is ready to accept passengers. Have a safe trip.”

Seiji nodded at the instructions of the smiling lady behind the counter. Grabbing his brown leather briefcase from the floor, he entered the hallway the woman directed. He swiped his ticket on a touch-screen mechanism on the door and it moved to open.

Anxiety gripped Seiji’s heart, not knowing what to expect on the other side of the door. From what he could gleam, the D-Ship was one of Hope’s Peak Academy’s five private ships ferrying students to the school. Seiji knew from work that Hope’s Peak is some kind of exceptional institution, but he only recently realized the school was located in a secret, remote island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. According to an agent, being invited to attend Hope’s Peak was “a big deal” and their graduates were “sure to get ahead in life”. After receiving the letter, Seiji compiled all the information about the school that he could get, barring those rendered confidential and were in a need-to-know basis. With the thick folder he got hold of, he deduced that if there were indeed some secret goings-on in the Academy, they were probably only a few. Still, the classified info were curious things, such as the school’s exact location. If the institution housed at least three hundred students a year, what kind of measures did the school’s administration apply to make sure no one leaks its whereabouts?

Pondering about it and coming up with a few solutions, Seiji realized that the door was already wide open for a while. A few pairs of eyes stared at him and the boy felt a slight blush come across his face. It was an obvious color on his very pale skin – a result of being stuck indoors for prolonged periods of time. He felt conscious of his appearance for the first time in years – he knew his short brown hair would not listen to a comb, what with the asymmetrical fringes and the embarrassing cowlick. His cheekbones were a bit prominent, his chin slightly pointed and he had a pair of deep blue eyes that reminded people of the ocean. He was quite tall and too thin for his age and his clothes did nothing to hide the fact. He wore a simple blue-and-black checkered cardigan over a white dress shirt, a pair of black slacks and brown leather shoes. In conclusion, it looked like any ordinary high school uniform. To be honest, Seiji knew nothing of fashion and it visibly showed.

Seiji quickly stepped inside and looked for an empty seat in the waiting area, which was easy, since there were at least fifty chairs for only around ten people. The tip-tap of his shoes was the only sound in the enclosed place, which was eerie and disturbing for the young man. Hastily, Seiji chose the rightmost seat in the middle row, putting his briefcase on the floor and then sighing in relief. He could still feel the gaze of people watching him and only relaxed when conversations amongst them started up once more.

“Let me guess, you’re a Hope’s Peak student?”

Seiji turned to the source of the sound and met eyes with a sharply-dressed young man. He had a pleasant face with a pointed chin and emerald-colored eyes that reminded Seiji of a cat’s. He had straight raven-colored hair with long bangs, most of which was combed down to left, almost covering an eye. He had ivory-colored skin, a lean built that bordered into thin and seemed to be a few inches taller than Seiji. He wore a maroon sleeveless vest over a white long-sleeved dress shirt, with a black neck tie accentuating in the middle. Both his ears had silver piercings and he wore several rings on his fingers. He wore a cross on a black string over his neck, the pendant still made of silver. Finally, a pair of dark-colored slacks and brown loafers completed his outfit. This person looked to be in high school age but was not dressed for the classroom. With an expectant look directed at him, Seiji realized he had yet to answer the question. “Er, yes, I’m transferring just this spring.”

“A transfer student too, huh…” The black-haired guy said to no one in particular. “Same as the rest then.”

Seiji picked up on the implication of his statement. “The rest?”

“Yeah, everybody else here,” he replied, waving a hand to the other people sitting and standing around the room. Seiji caught the sight of a short male teen frowning at his cellphone, a girl in an overly huge sweater fidgeting on her seat, a flashy-looking guy in a jacket yawning and lounging around and several others. He counted around twelve at least. “Weird, huh?”

“Considering the number, it is bizarre that the school would accept these many transfer students,” contemplated Seiji.

“Right? I thought of it too, but then again, Hope’s Peak was never a normal school in the first place.” Black-haired guy chuckled, shaking his head. “I mean, a school in the middle of a hidden island somewhere in the Pacific? That goes way beyond the norm!”

“I agree,” said Seiji, glad that he seemed to be doing good at making conversation with someone of his age. “Though I hope I can live up to the expectations, if it is as prestigious a school as I have surmised.”

“Me and you both. I mean, my Talent isn’t that amazing.” The guy’s face suddenly lit up, as if remembering something. “Uh, where were my manners, I didn’t introduce myself. The name’s **Saki Kagamine** and I’m the **Super High School Level Bartender**.”

“Seiji Kodo.” Seiji took Saki’s outstretched hand to shake it. “Super High School Level Cryptanalyst.”

“Cryptanalyst?” Saki raised an eyebrow. “If I’m not mistaken, you deal with cracking codes or something?”

“If you mean decryption, yes, that’s what I usually do.” Seiji blushed a little, which usually happens when he introduces his rather unknown Talent. “But I can also do ciphers for hidden messages.”

“That’s some cool ass skill,” Saki breathed out. “Much better than being good at making and serving drinks.”

“I think working in the hospitality industry sounds great,” blurted out Seiji in his own roundabout way of complimenting someone. “Um, I mean…”

“Heh, you don’t have to return the sentiment,” said Saki with a light laugh. “And although I think my Talent is crap, it’s something that puts money on the table.” He then gave a rather mischievous grin. “And gives me the opportunity to get to know wonderful people.”

Seiji did not know how to process the last statement. He knew Saki was on to something, but he had no idea what. He wondered how he could get out of the predicament without giving the other guy a bad impression, but thankfully they were distracted by the opening of the doors and the arrival of a new student.

This new arrival was a tall girl, who was clothed in a white one-piece dress held in the waist by a strip of blue ribbon. A lot of people gasped, so Seiji thought she was some kind of celebrity. It came as no wonder, since she carried herself with a blueblood’s elegance. Her short platinum blonde hair that slightly curves near the end meant that she must have the blood of a foreigner. Her bangs parted in the middle, exposing a good chunk of her forehead. She had incredibly fair skin, a very slim figure and piercing, slightly slanted and upturned gray eyes that gave Seiji the shivers for some reason. Her dress was made of some kind of silky material, giving it a breezy quality. It was a simple thing with no designs except for a diamond-shape hole near the middle of the chest and the puffy sleeves that ended on the shoulders. A black choker was on her neck, a pair of dangling earrings that form crystal raindrops was on her ears and black stiletto heels were on her feet. What caught Seiji’s eye was the bandages wrapped around her right leg, which was a big difference compared to her pristine appearance.

Saki whistled, surprising the cryptanalyst. “That must be **Fuyo Tadashi** ,” he said, eyeing the girl, who was not the slightest bit unnerved by all the staring. “I heard she got injured in her latest tournament, but I thought it was all bull.”

Seiji looked at the walking girl and noticed something. “She seemed to favor her left leg, so I guess it’s true?”

Saki clicked his tongue in an expression of pity. “That’s bad news for her. Hurting your leg in a highly competitive sport like figure skating? Hope she recovers quickly enough.”

So, this Fuyo Tadashi was the **Super High School Level Figure Skater** , thought Seiji. He wanted to ask for confirmation, but did not want to appear like a fool, since it seemed to be common knowledge, if Saki and everyone else’s reaction was to be gauged. His knowledge about figure skating was minimal at best, so he just nodded at Saki’s statement.

The girl named Fuyo found a seat on the front row. Once people got their fill of the figure skater, they went back to their conversations and what else they had been doing. Saki remained silent when Seiji did not comment, with the former afterwards humming a tune to keep himself occupied.

Seiji grabbed a book from his briefcase to make use of the time. However, he couldn’t concentrate, with eyes straying to the back of the figure skater. He couldn’t put a finger on it, but the girl was eerily familiar to him. Especially her expression – the deep-set frown and slanted eyes that screamed of extreme annoyance. Currently, that look was directed to a bizarre pair of boys who approached her just a few seconds ago.

The pair were complete opposites. The burly one with a deep tan was wearing something similar to a uniform – a short-sleeved polo shirt in a light blue color, dark blue shorts and black boots. In the shirt’s pocket, several pens of different lengths were propped. He wore a blue flat cap over what could be a sparsely-haired scalp, though his eyebrows were quite thick. A large messenger bag was strapped on one of his shoulders. His rather childish outfit emphasized his hulk-like figure, with his bulging biceps and leg muscles. His face was square-shaped with prominent ears that give him it an elf-like quality. A guy with that kind of body would be very intimidating, but this person was smiling brightly. His round-shaped eyes with black irises had a twinkle in them and Seiji could sense no malice as he nodded once in a while, letting his friend do all the talking to Fuyo.

The other guy was a lot shorter and thinner with a fairer complexion. He looked around average height and weight for a high schooler, unlike his partner. His bright orange hair was curly and unkempt, though he kept most of his bangs out of his eyes with three pairs of clips that form an X. His face was widest near the cheekbones, but it had a round quality to it. His honey-colored eyes were round and bright, though topped by a pair of indigo-framed eyeglasses. He wore a plain white shirt with a huge smiley face in the middle, topped by a green jacket with black linings and lots of pins, the sleeves folded up to the elbow. His jeans were a bit baggy and scruffy and its pockets were stuffed to the brim, its contents unknown to Seiji though he can see some wirings poking out. He wore a pair of white sneakers with what could be splashes of paint as a design. A pair of headphones were on his neck and he had several colorful bands on both his arms, along with a green wristwatch. With a backpack hued in all colors of the rainbow and holding a digital video camera, this guy had a strange fashion style. He was talking animatedly with corresponding gestures, though he was quickly unnerved by the figure skater’s glare and silence. It did not take more than a few seconds for him to back off.

Then glasses-wearing guy turned to Seiji and their eyes met. To the cryptanalyst’s surprise, he suddenly grinned and quickly rushed to his side. Taken aback, Seiji sat a little too stiffly and Saki chuckled at his sudden movements.

All too soon, the person with the headphones was on his side. “Hey, you just came in a few minutes before Fuyo-chan, right?”

“Er, yes?”

The guy babbled quickly before Seiji could even intone his words. “So yeah, I’m planning to document my whole stay on Hope’s Peak and I decided to start filming here. You know, getting to know the people with Talents the school gathered. Hope’s Peak got a ton of them in its campus, so I bet there are some with pretty good stories.”

“Ah, I guess?”

“So yeah, could you give me a short interview?” The guy directed his video camera at Seiji’s face and he saw a reflection of his face on the lens. “Tell me a little about yourself. Then you can check out your vid on my channel.”

“Channel?” Seiji was not sure he understood what the other guy was talking about.

Glasses-guy looked a bit surprised. “Yeah, the **Hayatan** channel.” Seiji gave him a blank look so he continued. “The channel of **Hayate Taiga** , the **Super High School Level Vlogger**? Which is me, actually.”

“Oh, uh, what exactly is a ‘vlogger’?”

“Wow, seriously, you don’t know what a vlogger is?” Hayate laughed, but it wasn’t the teasing kind, more of the awed surprise kind. “Ever heard of a video blog?” Seiji shook his head. “No? Really? What, are you born in the Showa era or something?”

This was a question Seiji could answer. “No. I was born in 2001, which is clearly during the Heisei period.”

“What? I was just joking, dude.” Seiji blushed in embarrassment, amidst Hayate’s loud laughter, with Saki joining in with a few chuckles. The orange-haired guy wiped a tear from an eye. “Man, I haven’t laughed like that for years. You really don’t get out much, do you?”

“Not really,” replied Seiji with a sigh. “Most of my childhood was spent working for the government.”

At this, both guys’ ears perked up. “What? You work for the government?” Hayate looked especially intrigued, which rang warning bells on Seiji’s mind for some reason. “What kind of Talent do you have? Super High School Level Bureaucrat or something?”

“No, I’m the Super High School Level Crypta-”

“Any luck here, Hayatan?” The huge guy who accompanied Hayate when he talked to Fuyo joined them. He gave a friendly grin to Seiji, who hesitantly smiled back, a bit annoyed at the interruption. “You’re the guy who spaced out at the door, right?”

“Oh, so he’s the one who came in when I was in the restroom,” said Hayate. He then faced Seiji and pointed at his friend. “This is **Gora Raino** and he’s the-”

“ **Super High School Level Mailman**!” announced the young man called Gora, with a raised arm. Come to think of it, his outfit does remind Seiji of someone working in a post office. “I deliver your letters and packages twenty-four hours a day! Well, not today though since I’m going to high school.”

“So, you’re that passionate mailman from Hayatan’s video last year,” said Saki, suddenly joining in on the conversation.

“Yes,” replied Gora with fervor. “It’s all thanks to Hayatan that I was able to show everyone the joy of writing a heartfelt letter and deliver it by post! And to reveal the bane that is instant messaging!”

“Uh, yeah, good luck with that.” Saki looked unconvinced and Seiji wondered what that was all about.

Hayate caught the brunette’s blank expression. “Gora’s kinda obsessed with reviving the whole pen-pal thing, saying that e-mails and text messages don’t deliver the same emotions as a letter does. Well, he does have a point but…”

“Truly, our reliance on instant messaging will be the death of all meaningful communication!” declared Gora, complete with hand and arm gestures that resembled a politician doing a campaign speech. “Strained friendships, broken families, misunderstandings with your girlfriend – these are all the ill effects of instant messaging!”

“…he kinda overdoes it when he gets going,” continued Hayate. Then he whispered to Seiji. “Make sure not to say anything like the postal network is _dead_ or he’ll go nuts with his speeches.”

“A-alright.” Seiji did not know what to make of it, but he was definitely in the company of some strange people. The agents did warn him that each person in the world has a unique personality of their own, but he never expected something like overwhelming passion for handmade letters.

“Anyway, where were we before Gora interrupted?” asked Hayate, not even listening a word to Gora’s ongoing speech. Seiji caught phrases like “e-mails are e-maladies” and “your penmanship strengthens your friendship” before the orange-head spoke again. “Oh yeah, you were talking about your Talent.”

“Right,” said Seiji. “My name is Seiji Kodo and I’m the Super High School Le-”

“We would like to inform our dearest passengers that our last guest has recently arrived.” To Seiji’s irritation, the PA system decided to turn on with impeccable timing. “Please stand by for boarding instructions.”

“The ship’s about to sail, huh?” said Saki, stretching his arms. “About time.”

“There’s one more passenger,” stated Hayate. “So, sixteen in total. I wonder who the tardy one is.”

Hayate’s query was answered by the loud slamming of the doors. A girl with long, wavy cerulean hair gasped for breaths near the entrance. “I-I’m so sorry for being late!”

Hayate’s jaws slackened in a rather comical way. “Holy, that’s **Tsubasa Shiratori** , the ‘idol of the sky’!”

Idol of the _what_ now? Seiji did not have the slightest clue who this Tsubasa girl is, but it was clear that she was a pretty big deal. The gasps and stares were louder and more intense than that of the figure skater a while ago, though both were physically attractive for Seiji. Tsubasa was a bit fleshier than Fuyo, especially in the chest part, but still looked pretty slim. Her hair reached up to her waist, the ends being fluffy like sheep’s wool while her bangs were long and choppy, covering most of her forehead. She was milky-skinned, with a round face, slightly puffy cheeks, button-like nose and lavender-colored eyes. She was dressed professionally and conservatively in a long-sleeved gray blouse with an azure-hued collar and fringes and a dark blue pencil skirt that reached the knees, with brown leggings and black heels. A pink scarf was tied around her neck like a ribbon while a small blue cap that reminded Seiji of an upturned paper boat and an ivory wing-like decoration crowned both sides of her head. She also wore a pair of white gloves, rose-colored studs and light make-up and lipstick. Seiji had not travelled much, but her outfit reminded her of flight attendants. Which begs the question – were stewardesses given the same amount of attention as an athlete? The outside world’s thinking was a bit difficult to comprehend.

Right, everything was so new and confusing for Seiji that he felt a headache coming. It was a sudden sensation, like his head was being suddenly split open. As seconds passed by, he realized this was no ordinary migraine, with his surroundings spiraling around him. He heard a loud thud when Hayate suddenly fell over, alarming him. There was something wrong, he was sure, but his eyelids were getting heavier. Beside him, Saki slackened on his seat.

Seiji made the mistake of standing up, which only worsened his nausea. He caught a glimpse of Tsubasa lying unconscious on the floor, before closing his eyes to concentrate. But he couldn’t keep hold of his thoughts and he lurched forward and ended up kneeling on the floor. He opened his eyes briefly, just to see Gora lay unmoving on the ground beside him. Seeing the big guy knocked to unconsciousness broke the last strands of control and he fell flat on his face.

Seiji used all his willpower to stay awake, but it was getting harder as time passed by. With half-opened eyes, he saw a pair of woman’s high heels hobbling drunkenly towards him, but he did not know who it was. Slumber beckoned him and Seiji closed his eyes, with only his sense of hearing left. The sound of someone near falling into the ground was the last thing he ever sensed, right before he finally gave in to the darkness…

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s not Danganronpa without over-the-top characters, highly absurd talents and the protagonist fainting on his first day/departure to school!
> 
> Anyway, character recap, for those who need them! And some pun-ny etymology!
> 
> (1) Super High School Level Cryptanalyst – Seiji Kodo (Kodo = Code)
> 
> (2) Super High School Level Bartender – Saki Kagamine (Saki = Sake)
> 
> (3) Super High School Level Figure Skater – Fuyo Tadashi (Fuyo/Fuyu = Winter)
> 
> (4) Super High School Level Vlogger – Hayate Taiga (Taiga sounds like Eiga = Film)
> 
> (5) Super High School Level Mailman – Gora Raino (Gora is an anagram of Ragu, MC of Tegami Bachi/Letter Bee)
> 
> (6) Super High School Level ??? – Tsubasa Shiratori
> 
> Eleven more characters to go! See you in the next part.


	2. Prologue: Standing at the Crossroads - Part 2

* * *

_“Wake up please!”_

A sweet, melodious voice stirred Seiji from the depths of unconsciousness. Someone was shaking his arms, as if to coax him back to reality. He slowly opened his eyes, wincing at the intense bright light that came from above him. A slight headache throbbed from the back of his head and his entire body felt heavy. He would like to go back to sleep more than anything, but…

Memories flooded his mind instantly. Leaving the agency, arriving at the port, waiting to board the ship, conversations with fellow teenagers, people fainting one by one…

“ _Gah_!” Seiji sat up straight, the feeling of danger coursing through his veins, pumping him with adrenaline.

“Don’t worry, you’re fine, you’re okay,” a voice cooed soothingly, touching Seiji’s shoulder. He turned to the owner and gazed upon a girl with long cerulean hair and lavender eyes. “Calm down, you’re safe here. Breathe in, breathe out…”

“I…” Seiji spoke, but the girl’s eyes said that she wouldn’t take no for an answer. He reluctantly followed her instruction, breathing in deeply before letting it all out. While he did, he felt a little better and had the mind to check on his surroundings. The two of them were alone in a huge room with white walls and ceiling and a tiled and polished floor. He was sitting on a bunk with white and green linens, which reminded him of the beds in an infirmary. A curtain separated them from most of the room, but Seiji could spot a small table with a basin and medicine bottles in the corner of his eye. “W-where are we?”

“I’m not sure,” said the girl, whose name Seiji knew but could not remember. She brushed a stray lock of hair from her ear as she spoke. “Last thing I remembered I was running late. Then I fainted and I woke up on a bed in a place that looked like some kind of clinic. I was about to take a look outside when I found you unconscious on a nearby bunk…”

“I see…” Were they kidnapped or something? But it was highly unlikely, with the security Hope’s Peak stationed at the port. Plus, there was something wrong about the way they all fainted – there was no smoke or any disturbance in the waiting room that could explain it.

“Are you feeling fine?” asked the blue-haired girl suddenly, concern etched in her face. The way Seiji turned silent and brooding must have worried her. “Waking up from extreme nausea is never a pleasant feeling. Would you like to drink something? I think I saw a water bottle somewhere…”

“Ah, no, I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” The girl was not convinced, gazing at the boy from head to toe. “You look a little skinny for someone of our age. You’ve got to put more carbohydrates and protein on your diet.”

“Uh, what?” Seiji wondered how the conversation suddenly ended up on his nutrition. That was the least of his problems right now. “I think we should try and look for help.”

The girl’s eyes widened, like she just comprehended the severity of the situation. “Oh, you’re right, of course,” she relented. “My name is **Tsubasa** **Shiratori** , by the way. I was supposed to transfer to Hope’s Peak Academy and ride the what-was-that-name again?”

“The D-Ship,” said Seiji, leaving the bunk and standing up. Another transfer student, which was definitely weird. If what Saki and Hayate mentioned were true, there were sixteen transferees to Hope’s Peak. Thinking about the two boys made Seiji wonder if they were safe, but he had to take care of himself first. “I’m also transferring to Hope’s Peak Academy, Seiji Kodo is my name.”

“Nice to meet you, Seiji-kun,” stated Tsubasa cheerfully, shaking the boy’s hands. “So, should we go find out exactly where we are?”

“Right,” said Seiji, heading out, while Tsubasa followed. As he pushed the curtain out, he looked around him and concluded that they were indeed in some kind of clinic. There were several more bunks from where he woke up and a desk was in the middle of the room, which he guessed is where the nurse or doctor would have been stationed. Several cabinets were propped on the walls, all of which contained several bottles and boxes of medicine. There were three doors leading outside, two of which were located opposite another while the last one was directly in the line of sight from the curtained beds.

Seiji stopped to think. Which of the three doors should he open? He had reason to believe that each door may lead to a different place, so it was a critical decision. While he pondered, some yelling suddenly erupted from outside, making both him and Tsubasa jump.

_“W-what the heck do you think you’re doing?”_

That voice! It was Hayate’s and it looked like he was in some kind of trouble. It came from one of the opposite-facing doors and Seiji quickly rushed to open it. Footsteps from behind him told him that Tsubasa quickly mimicked him.

“Hayate-san!” shouted Seiji as he slid the door open. He halted mid-stride as he gaped at the scene before him.

Hayate lay sprawled on a carpeted floor, holding his right cheek. They were in the middle of what could be a wide and luxuriously decorated hallway. The orange-haired boy was grumbling something at a girl standing cross-armed on the door in front of him. Seiji’s arrival and shout silenced him to surprise and the vlogger was now looking up at him.

“Oh hey, it’s Seiji-kun…” said Hayate nonchalantly, a hand still on his cheek. The skin was red on where he touched and he was wincing as if in pain.

“Oh my, what happened to your face?” Tsubasa inserted herself on the door, prompting Seiji to move away to make some space. The girl quickly rushed to Hayate’s side.

“Tsu-Tsu-Tsubasa Shiratori?!” Hayate yelled in shock at the sudden appearance of the tall girl.

“Stay away from that _pervert_!” The girl from the other door yelled in a warning tone, halting Tsubasa from going to Hayate’s side. She had an angry expression on her face as she looked at the lying boy with disgust.

Hayate glared at the girl. “I’m _not_ a pervert! It’s all a misunderstanding!”

“You were touching me while I was unconscious!” It was a serious accusation – even Tsubasa narrowed her eyes at the vlogger.

Hayate knew he was in hot water. He was comically waving his arms as if in defense. “I was just trying to wake you up!”

“Were you now?” Tsubasa’s expression visibly stiffened.

“Yes, I’m being completely honest here!” said Hayate with what could be pleading on his tone. “I fainted and suddenly woke up in a room I’ve never been to before! Then I found that there was someone else there.” He looked at the mad girl with sincerely frightened eyes. “I thought you were dead, so I poked on your arm and shoulders a little, trying to see if there’s a reaction.”

“H-how do I know you’re not lying?” The accusing girl was a stubborn one, but her doubting expression showed she was just trying to save face.

“It’s the same situation I got myself in,” explained Tsubasa and the girl was listening intently. “I woke up with Seiji-kun knocked out near me, so I figured I should help him.”

“See?!” Hayate now stood up, pointing at both Seiji and Tsubasa. “She was trying to wake him up but he didn’t slap her!”

“S-sorry,” mumbled the girl. Then without a moment’s warning, she suddenly adopted a definitely fabricated sweet and cutesy tone. “It’s just that Mana-chan recently had trouble with stalkers! My hand just moved on its own, _teehee_ ~”

Hayate’s deadpanned expression told Seiji that he seriously doubted that but was wise enough not to voice his opinion. Seiji took a good look at the girl who called herself Mana-chan. She was of below average height and weight, shorter and slimmer than Hayate. Compared to Tsubasa’s “assets”, she was certainly middling though she was not in any case terribly ugly. She wore something that resembled a high school uniform – a long-sleeved purple blazer over a white blouse, a short and pleated skirt of a darker hue of violet, short white socks and a pair of black shoes. A big red ribbon was on the collar of the blouse, while the blazer was left unbuttoned with all sorts of circular and colorful pins attached to it. A white hobo bag with several hearts on the design was strapped on her shoulder, with what could be clipboard poking out of it. Mana had shoulder-length hot pink hair that was tied into two short pigtails by a pair of red ribbons. Her bangs were short and wispy, hiding a bit of her forehead. Her light blue eyes were rounded right now, but Seiji saw it as deadly slits just a minute ago. The pair of eyeglasses over it did nothing to stifle the murderous glare back then. She was trying to look cute and pleasant right now, but Seiji swore she acted like a delinquent from the start.

“I-I guess it’s a common reflex for women,” commented Tsubasa, who was a little disturbed at the other girl’s sudden change of attitude.

Mana’s face suddenly fell and the three teenagers jumped back as she suddenly wailed. “Gah, who am I kidding, you guys saw how I really am!” Her shoulders slumped as she shook her head. “And here I was thinking I’m going to make my high school debut as the Super High School Level Ultra Feminine Girl.”

“Is that even a Talent?” asked Seiji, earning looks from the three.

“That was a joke,” replied Mana, looking bored. Seiji did not really get it, so he adopted a neutral expression. “Did you get your funny bone extracted or something?”

“Don’t mind him,” said Hayate to Seiji’s defense, but it was clear he was amused by the situation. “Finding out exactly what happened to us is more important right now.”

“Ah yes,” stated Tsubasa. “I remembered arriving late at the waiting area before suddenly blacking out.”

“Oh yeah, you were the last passenger!” exclaimed Mana, as if she just remembered it right now, giving Tsubasa a once-over. “Tsubasa Shiratori, right? The **Super High School Level Flight Stewardess**? Mind if I call you Tsu-nee-chan?”

“Huh? It’s o-okay, I guess…”

“Thank you so much, Tsu-nee-chan~” cooed Mana sweetly. She did a hundred-eighty again and gave the two boys a bored look. “And you two doofuses are?”

Hayate looked offended but did not press the issue. He touched his cheek once more, as if remembering the stinging pain again. If it even left, Seiji thought it packed quite the punch. “I’m Hayate Taiga, the Super High School Le-”

“Oooh, you’re that very famous vlogger!” said Mana excitedly but her face turned sour once she took a good look at Hayate. “You look much better on your videos than in real-life. The science of video-editing is astounding nowadays.”

“And you’re really rude, you know that?” countered Hayate, who looked like his patience was wearing thin. “Your stalkers are idiots for having an interest on you. If they’re even _real_ , that is.”

“W-what?!” Mana looked so outraged that Hayate had to step back. She tried to fix her scary-looking face though, giving it an uncanny quality instead. “I-I have my own set of dedicated fans! A-after all, I am **Mana Kakeuchi** , the **Super High School Level Events Coordinator**!”

“Right, right, whatever,” said Hayate dismissively, aggravating Mana once more. The pigtailed girl looked like she would strangle him any time now. Seiji had to question Hayate’s self-preservation techniques.

“A-and you’re Seiji Kodo, right?” Tsubasa cut in, obviously trying to break ice. “C-come to think of it, I have yet to hear what your Talent is, Seiji-kun.”

“Oh, right,” said Seiji, wondering if there was a skip option somewhere. “I’m the Super High School Level Cryptanalyst.”

Mana and Hayate had a blank look on their faces. “Crypto-what?” said Mana. “You freakin’ Superman or something?”

“A Cryptanalyst is someone who tries to break codes and discover hidden aspects of things like systems and secret messages,” stated Tsubasa, surprising everyone, especially Seiji who knew that that was a textbook definition. She seemed to realize it too, as she quickly explained herself. “I-I’m a huge fan of spy novels, so I got to learn the word somehow…”

“A spy, huh?” Seiji did not like the intrigued look on Hayate’s face. He was sending vibes that Seiji definitely had some juicy tales to tell and that he will definitely get it on video.

Seiji quickly went to correct the misinterpretation. “I’m not really a spy, though. I only solve puzzles and decrypt stuff. It’s nothing special, really.”

“Hope’s Peak definitely think it special enough,” said Hayate. “There are a lot more sillier Talents than what you have. Gora’s for example.” Then, his face fell as he realized something. “ _Gora_! I was with him ‘till that fainting spree. I wonder if he’s okay…”

“We should probably try to look for them,” stated Seiji, glad that the spotlight was off him. He took a quick look around him, trying to absorb all the details. They were on the middle of a hallway that led to much a bigger one to his right and a severely blockaded door to his left. The two doors of the rooms where the four teenagers separately came from where directly opposite each other, but they were not important right now. The larger hallway looked like the lobby of a luxurious hotel, with the gold-plated counter and several comfy sofas spread around it. He pointed to it. “That looked like a good place to start investigating.”

“Hm, I agree,” said a nodding Tsubasa. “And we should probably stick together. There is safety in numbers, after all.” Hayate and Mana nodded in agreement.

Seiji was chosen to lead the group, since he “seemed to be experienced in situations like this”. He would have argued that that was not the case, but they couldn’t really afford to waste any more time. As they moved, the more Seiji was convinced that they were in some kind of extremely expensive hotel. The whole floor was carpeted with a soft brown material and sculptures and paintings decorated the walls. Arriving at their destination, Seiji realized it lead to two more hallways on both his right and his left, with a row of doors on both sides of the corridor.

“Are we in the D-Ship?” asked Hayate suddenly, catching the attention of the other three teens. “I mean, don’t those hallways lead to what could be a ship’s cabins?”

“Or hotel rooms,” said Mana. “This place is so gaudy it just screams five-star hotel to me.”

“You guys, come look at this!” Tsubasa was investigating what could be a counter in a hotel’s foyer. She was pointing at the engraving on the front side of the thing, which spelled DREAM SHIP. “So, the D in D-Ship stands for Dream, then?”

“So, I was right, we are in the D-Ship,” said Hayate, sighing in relief like he had been saved from a crisis. “Thank God.”

“If we’re on the ship, then there’s something wrong.” Seiji gazed at the empty hallways, looking for a shadow or even a single sound that was not their voices. “The place is completely empty.”

“Yes, it’s very strange,” added Tsubasa. “You’d think the reception area would be manned. And there should be at least a member of the staff lingering here somewhere. It’s like you’re on a plane with no flight stewardesses.”

“M-maybe they’re just busy?” asked Hayate on a what-if voice.

“Then they’re not taking their jobs seriously,” replied Tsubasa in a harsh tone, which was the first time Seiji ever heard from her. Hayate looked slightly shocked as well, but neither boy commented on it.

“Oooh, I found an elevator!” The three were so engrossed in their discussion they did not notice that Mana had slipped out. They turned to see her in front of her discovery, just to the right of the lobby. Without wasting another second, the teenagers headed there, just as Mana wailed once more. “But it’s busted!”

“Busted?!” Hayate’s voice was full of incredulity. Seiji saw him press the keypad beside the two steel sliding doors that were definitely the entrance to an elevator. Despite Hayate’s forceful typing, the screen above the pad just wouldn’t light up. “What the? Is the power off or something?”

“Unlikely, since the lights are on,” replied Seiji, looking up at the chandelier-looking thing in the ceiling above the reception area. He then gazed at what could be the windows a few steps behind the counter, which was covered under thick steel plating. “We’ll be in total darkness if not for that.”

“Is this ship’s designer a recluse or something?” asked Mana with irritation in her voice. “First, that huge door was barricaded then all the windows are boarded up? With metal plating, no less!”

“The more we see, the less we understand,” said Tsubasa a little cryptically. “Since the elevator wouldn’t work, should we look for some stairs instead?”

“Good thinking, Tsu-nee-chan!” exclaimed Mana on her fake sweet demeanor. “If there’s an elevator, then this place has more than one floor. It’d be reasonable to deduce that there would be stairs as well!”

“I think we should split up.” Seiji voiced out his thoughts on the matter. “That way we can cover more ground.”

“What?!” Hayate looked terrified, to Seiji’s immense bewilderment. “We can’t split up! We’ll be picked off one by one, that’s how horror movies work!”

“You’re such a dork, Taiga,” commented Mana, back to her normal tone. “I’m sure there’s a way out or an explanation for everything. Or are you saying the great vlogger has no backbone?”

“Th-that’s not true, of course!” said Hayate bravely, though his legs were slightly shaking. “L-let’s split up then.”

“I’m going with Tsu-nee-chan then!” Mana piped in, using her fake sugary tone again while clasping one of the stewardess’ arms. “Since we’re weak little girls, we should probably stay on this floor to investigate~”

Seiji was sure Mana was not a “weak little girl” but he’d rather not debate on it. “Then Hayate-san and I will try to find a stairwell.”

Tsubasa nodded. “Let’s meet back here after…” She took a quick glance at her wristwatch, which was an old and rusty thing, which contrasted her pristine appearance. “Thirty minutes. Do you guys have something to tell the time?”

“I’ve got a watch, so we’ll be fine,” replied Hayate weakly. He was still definitely against the whole splitting up-idea.

“What are we waiting for? _Let’s go, go~_ ” Mana pulled Tsubasa behind her and the two girls disappeared into the one of the splitting hallways. The stewardess gave the remaining pair an encouraging smile before she completely disappeared from view.

“Those two are complete polar opposites,” commented Hayate. “If Tsuchi is a goddess, then that Kakeuchi is a goblin.” He paused, as if complementing his words. “I feel sorry for the goblins.”

Seiji snickered, surprising both himself and Hayate. “So you _do_ have a sense of humor,” said the other boy, grinning widely. “I was afraid all the puzzle-solving seeped out all the fun off you.”

“I’m just not used to dealing with people around my age,” admitted Seiji, a hand on the back of his neck. Saving himself from further embarrassment, he started walking away from the elevator, into a straight direction.

“Really?” asked Hayate, which Seiji answered by the shaking of his head. “I think you mentioned working for the government back while we were waiting for the ship.” At this, Seiji nodded. “So all that work kept you from talking to someone your age?”

Seiji contemplated on the question. The government had been adamant that he stay at institutions they have direct control of and back then, he didn’t really think there was something wrong about the set-up. He only spent time outdoors on a few occasions, since he preferred to stay inside, cracking a code or spending time solving a puzzle, even when there was no work to be done. Though technically, there was someone close to his age that he often spoke to…

“Oh wow, we actually found the stairs.” Hayate’s surprised voice pulled Seiji from his thoughts. They were indeed in front of a simple spiraling staircase, which was elegantly designed to take up as little a space as possible. From the looks of it, they can either go up or down. “Which way should we go?”

“Hmmm…” Seiji couldn’t decide. There was no indication as to which direction would be more advantageous in the current situation. He was about to toss a coin for it when he heard footsteps echoing from the staircase. Since the whole corridor was carpeted and kept their shoes from making any noise, the sudden sound put the two of them on guard.

“S-someone’s coming!” whispered Hayate in a panic.

Seiji would have liked to possess a weapon at that point. He was being careless and he knew it. He was in a potentially dangerous situation, so he should have been more vigilant. He wondered if he could take on an enemy barehanded, but with his rather thin body – which Tsubasa had negatively commented on – his chances of winning were slim.

Two wary faces popped out from downstairs – one male, another female. Both looked to be of high school age, though they left different impressions. The guy had a plain, forgettable appearance, but the girl had a rather charismatic aura.

“Oh,” quipped the girl with a pleasant smile. “So we’re not alone here after all.”

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, everyone awakens in a strange new place, with no visible exits in sight.
> 
> Without further ado, character recap time!
> 
> (1) Super High School Level Cryptanalyst – Seiji Kodo
> 
> (2) Super High School Level Bartender – Saki Kagamine 
> 
> (3) Super High School Level Figure Skater – Fuyo Tadashi 
> 
> (4) Super High School Level Vlogger – Hayate Taiga 
> 
> (5) Super High School Level Mailman – Gora Raino 
> 
> (6) Super High School Level Flight Stewardess – Tsubasa Shiratori (Tsubasa = Wing)
> 
> (7) Super High School Level Events Coordinator – Mana Kakeuchi (Mana = Man, like man this thing or something)
> 
> (8) Super High School Level ??? – Unnamed male
> 
> (9) Super High School Level ??? – Unnamed female
> 
> Technically, we still have nine characters to introduce rather than seven. Anyway, on to the next part!


	3. Prologue: Standing at the Crossroads - Part 3

* * *

_“So we’re not alone here after all.”_

Seiji watched as the two new teenagers alighted from the stairs. The girl was dressed in a traditional outfit, a _kimono_ if Seiji was right. The guy, on the other hand, was dressed simply in a brown vest, green shirt and white pants.  He was a bit suspicious about them at first, but Hayate’s reaction blew away all of his doubts.

“ **Reina Kagayaki**!” yelled the vlogger, recognizing the female of the pair. If Hayate knew them, Seiji figured these two were also prospective Hope’s Peak Academy students who were about to board the D-Ship.

Reina saw Hayate and broke into a wider smile. “Hayate-san, right? If I’m not mistaken, you did a quick interview of me back in the waiting area?”

“Y-yes!” answered Hayate in a nervous stutter. “O-once again, th-thank you for letting me f-film you!”

“The pleasure is all mine,” replied Reina with a gentle smile. “I’m even a bit flattered that the Super High School Level Vlogger would be interested in little old me.”

“B-but you’re the **Super High School Level Beauty Queen**!” said Hayate, mouth open in shock.

A beauty queen? That was the third celebrity Seiji met in quick succession. Taking a look at Reina, he was slightly convinced that she earned the title. Unlike Fuyo’s cool elegance and Tsubasa’s charming stature, Reina was mature and gorgeous, making him think of what people called a “ _yamato nadeshiko_ ”. She carried herself confidently but not haughtily and even in a simple _kimono_ , she exuded a sexiness that blurred the line between girl and woman. The _kimono_ was all black, with pink _sakura_ flower prints as a recurring design. Her _obi_ – the large ribbon that tied the traditional garb – was all white. White socks and simple wooden sandals known as a _geta_ were on her feet and she only had a few accessories – a bead bracelet on her right arm and a simple ruby pendant. Her skin was in the middle line between pale and fair and all her nails were painted red. Her long and straight black hair was tied in a bun with a comb that resembled a tiara, with her long and blunt bangs covering most of her forehead. Her eyes had the same color as the ruby she wore and her lips held the same luscious color, made clearly through a lipstick. Her face was the perfect shape, it was as if God made sure to personally sculpt everything.

Seiji was a bit starstruck but with Hayate flushing red and unable to speak, he took the torch from him. “Um, did you come from a lower floor perhaps? Was there anyone else in there?”

Reina turned to talk to him, freezing Seiji in place. Even though she looked a little bit troubled, she had a strange effect on the boy. “I cannot say for certain. We woke up from a room that looked a like a place to do laundry. It was near an elevator, but unfortunately it was not working. But we saw the glimpse of a staircase in the opposite side, so we took it and we ended up here.”

“D-did the staircase o-only go up or…?” Great, now even Seiji was stammering.

“We tried going down, but the passage was blocked by a lot of debris,” answered Reina. “So we could only go up, right, Sango dear?”

Sango dear? Oh, the guy that was with her! Seiji was a bit guilty he had forgotten about the other teenager, but it was difficult to keep your eyes away from Reina. Upon hearing his name, Sango stepped out of the shadows.

“R-right,” replied Sango, definitely feeling the same nervous sensation Seiji and Hayate were cast in. Seiji didn’t want to be rude, but everything about him screamed “plain”. He was around Seiji’s height, only a few inches shorter, but he was built thicker than the cryptanalyst. He was lean with very tanned skin that was almost chocolate-like and his face was round but also a bit rugged. His eyes were a shade of deep gray and his unkempt, slightly wavy hair had the color of sand. His fringes were a bit messy, but at least it was combed away from his eyes, parting in the middle. He wore a brown sleeveless vest over a plain green shirt with white bubbles on the design, a pair of white pants and black rubber boots. The vest had several pockets on them and Seiji saw at least one hook poking out of it. He wore a black soft, flat-topped cap with a small visor on his head and carried a strapped cooler box with him. A fishing rod was secured on his back and it was painfully obvious which Talent he had. Sango probably saw Seiji looking at his clothes with a puzzled expression, as he blushed and explained hastily. “Since we we’re supposed to be in a boat, I unconsciously dressed myself on my fishing gear. I figured I could while the time away with some angling.”

“You’re the **Super High School Level Angler** then?” asked Seiji.

“Yep, my name is **Sango Hamachi** ,” said Sango pleasantly, offering a hand. Seiji did not hesitate to shake it.

“And I am Reina Kagayaki,” cut in Reina, clasping Seiji’s hand next. “Since introductions are in order…”

“R-right, Seiji Kodo,” said Seiji, stifling the urge to keep Reina’s soft palm from leaving his hand. Unfortunately, it only lasted a few seconds. “And this is…”

Seiji looked pointedly at Hayate. Since he was still absentmindedly staring at Reina, Seiji poked him with an elbow. “Ouch! Ah, I mean, Hayate Taiga, at your service!”

Reina giggled at the inelegant display. “We both know Hayate-san, of course. He was going around interviewing everyone after all.”

Hayate had an abashed look on his face and Seiji had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Sango caught his expression and chuckled softly. Seiji coughed, telling himself to focus on the task at hand. “There were two others with us, girls named Tsubasa Shiratori and Mana Kakeuchi. Currently, they’re investigating this floor, trying to find someone else and find out exactly where we are. We think that we might be inside some kind of ship, but we couldn’t be sure with the lack of information.”

Reina nodded. “I think we might be, too. I can feel the same slight rocking sensation when you are in a moving boat.”

Seiji had been feeling that for a while too, especially ever since they found the reception room. He told the pair about it, as well as their suspicions that they might be inside the D-Ship.

“Aside from the laundry room, we passed through some kind of mess hall and another room, but it was all locked,” Sango told them. “The hallway split into two bigger ones, but the one to the left was heavily barricaded. We didn’t take the other corridor though. Other than that, we don’t have any other information.”

“I see.” Seiji turned to Hayate, who was processing this information as well. “I guess we should head to the higher floors, Hayate-san.” He looked at Sango, wondering if he could voice out his suggestion without sounding obnoxious…

Sango was a lot more perceptive than Seiji took him for. “I can investigate the floor we came from. Information-gathering would be more effective and efficient that way.”

“I shall come with you, Sango dear,” said Reina, grabbing one of the boy’s arms suddenly.

“W-what?” The beauty queen invading his personal space only made the angler stutter on his words, just when he was talking normally. “B-but Reina-san-”

“I thought I told you to refer to me as ‘Reina’,” complained the black-haired girl with an adorable pout.

“B-but Reina-san, I mean Reina…” Sango audibly gulped and Seiji suddenly pitied him, instead of the jealousy that was slowly snaking around his stomach. “It might be d-dangerous…”

“Did it cross your mind that it is more dangerous to leave me alone here?” said Reina, showing a surprising stubborn side. “And being a beauty queen meant you have both beauty _and_ brains. I am sure I can assist you if you are going to look for clues.”

Seiji felt like he had to put his two cents in, especially since Sango still looked unconvinced. And probably uncomfortable. “Reina-san has a point there, Sango-san. We need all the help we can get.”

“A-alright then.” Sango relented, much to Reina’s delight. “If you’re s-sure…”

“Absolutely certain,” said Reina, pulling Sango with her back to the stairway. “Then let us be on our way.”

Poor lad could only nod as Sango was marched down to the lower floor, but not before Seiji told them to meet up in the reception area. He and Hayate were left alone again, but the cryptanalyst sensed an empty feeling on his heart, something he never felt before. He shook his head; this was probably the effect of meeting a beauty queen in close quarters.

Hayate still had a dreamy look in his face as he spoke. “Wish she’d call me ‘dear’,” he mumbled. “That Sango guy is extremely lucky…”

Seiji voice out something that lingered in his mind ever since he met Reina. “If Reina-san is the Super High School Level Beauty Queen, does that mean she won a lot of pageants?”

“She sure did,” replied Hayate, still looking like someone who swallowed a love potion. “She even won the Miss U-Japan recently…”

“Miss you?”

“No, Miss U like the letter U,” snapped Hayate, going back to his normal talkative self. “U means Unity, like Miss Unity.” At Seiji’s blank face, he gaped open-mouthed. “Miss Unity is the most prestigious pageant in the world! Don’t you know-” His face then comically fell, remembering something. “Ah, right, you don’t get out too much, that’s to be expected…”

Seiji shrugged. “My line of work didn’t give me a lot of chances to learn about beauty pageants.”

“It’s supposed to be common knowledge, at least,” said Hayate. “Miss Unity-Japan is this nationwide competition where they choose the country’s representative for the next Miss U. Reina-tan had just turned eighteen, but she blew all her rivals away. With the crown on her hands, she was supposed to compete in the Miss U next.”

“ _Supposed_ to?”

“Something happened and Reina-tan decided to take a break from the whole beauty pageant business. Said she’ll leave the Miss U to the first-runner up while she goes to high school. Everyone was calling her selfish and stuck-up, but…”

Seiji took this information alongside his personal meeting with the girl in question. “She doesn’t look like someone who’d do something like that without a good reason.”

“Right?” Hayate looked put out, but still smiled in the end. “But critics _will_ be critics, I guess. Even I had my own share, back when I was starting out and even until now.” He then frowned at something he could only see. “But hiding the reason behind her sudden hiatus is not doing Reina-tan any favors.”

“It must be a personal thing,” stated Seiji, though he had no idea about what teenage beauty queens must be thinking. They had to go back to work though. “Well, shall we see what’s on the next floor?”

“Yeah, let’s go,” agreed Hayate, climbing up the stairway immediately. “I’m getting a little bit worried about Gorin, he could be all muscles and no brain.”

 _Gorin_? Hayate must be referring to Gora Raino, that burly teen back from the waiting area. Seiji deduced that he must be there and Saki would be too. All of the people he met were Hope’s Peak transferees, so it stood to reason that they would be present in the ship as well. If they were indeed on a ship, that is. Seiji wasn’t convinced until he could see what was outside.

“Well, this is new.” Seiji could hear Hayate speak. The other boy had just alighted into the new floor and Seiji quickly did the same. The first thing he noticed was the carpeting in this floor had a dark green hue. The two looked around their surroundings, catching a wooden door on the west and a glass one on the east. The glass door was reached by a small splitting pathway, surrounded on both sides by two tiny rooms. Judging from the signs, the two compartments were toilets, one each for the two genders. From the glass door, Seiji could spot some exercise equipment, which coincided with the GYM sign on the wall above the entrance. The other door was a sliding type and had the word SPA on it.

Seiji moved to the wooden door while Hayate stepped forward. The orange-head would probably check the larger hallway the corridor they’re in crossed with. It was a similar set-up from the floor below, but instead of having a wide space on the left for a reception area, the far end of their hallway was covered by walls on both sides. On the farthest end, something door-like and metallic can be seen if you looked closely. This would probably be the elevator, seeing it was on the same location as the one on the floor and two floors below, if Sango’s statement was considered. And if those elevators would not work, this one wouldn’t either.

Seiji tried to open the door to the spa. It was locked tight. He was about to turn back when an ear-piercing scream echoed. “ _Gyaaaaaaah_!”

Seiji twisted in time to see something huge and shadowy tackle Hayate on the place where the two corridors met. He rushed to his rescue, wondering what could have attacked Hayate and if he could somehow fight it off. Once he got to the scene, he breathed a huge sigh of relief.

“Hayatan, I was so worried about you!” Gora Raino was on top of Hayate on the floor, hugging the poor guy to death.

“H-help…” whispered Hayate hoarsely. “G-get off me, you big brute!”

A new, female voice spoke, surprising Seiji. “Raino-san, you should probably stop, lest you want to crush your friend to death.”

“Oh, right!” Gora quickly got up and helped Hayate stand up. The vlogger looked harassed. “Sorry about that, Hayatan.”

“I thought I was going to die…” mumbled Hayate.

“I thought you were a goner, too,” said Seiji, causing Gora to turn to him.

“Seiji-san!” exclaimed Gora. At least the big guy remembered the cryptanalyst’s name. “You’re here, too!”

“Yes and so are several others,” said Hayate, looking at two figures on his right, which Seiji knew the female voice came from. “I saw you guys on the waiting area too. You guys must be Hope’s Peak transferees, though I haven’t gotten around filming you guys yet.”

“Filming?” This time, it was a deep, masculine voice, sounding excessively bored. “What’s that about? But yeah, we’re transfer students, alright. Unwilling ones, but eh…”

Seiji moved forward to Hayate’s side to take a good look while the vlogger introduced himself.

Two teenagers stood side by side. The one on the left was a tall and athletic-looking girl wearing a dirty-looking white sleeveless T-shirt, with a brown jacket placed over her shoulders like it was some kind of cape. She wore a pair of camo shorts that exposed much of her muscled legs and thick brown boots. A faint scar can be seen on her left leg, like it was cut by a blade or something. A utility belt was on her hips, holding a water canteen, a whip, a lighter, a magnifying glass, a mini-shovel and a Swiss army knife. She had a deep and dark tan, though her skin also had some rubble and dust sticking in, especially in the arms and legs. She had a rugged, square-like face and was a bit untidy for someone of the fairer gender. Her dark brown hair was tied in a messy and pulled-up ponytail and her bangs where short and scruffy. Her eyes were slightly upturned and had the color of the deep night. She had a cheery disposition as she regarded Seiji and Hayate. “The name’s **Lala** **Yamashita** and I’m the **Super High School Level Treasure Hunter**.”

On the other hand, the teenager on the right side was dressed flashily though he had a disorganized look. His short hair and fringes were golden blonde and very spiky and Seiji wondered how much gel was used to let it defy gravity. He was tanned like Lala, but his skin was smoother and silkier, like the skin tone was brought about for aesthetical purposes rather than overexposure to the sun. He had a face that Seiji only saw on posters of male models and his lean body also fit the bill. He was also outfitted like a model, with an expensive-looking black leather jacket over a plain yellow dress shirt and a pair of stylish brown jeans. His sneakers were mostly white with black star designs and his right ear was pierced, with a dangling earring that was shaped like a car’s wheel. His jacket had blue electric bolt designs, especially on the sleeves. Dark shades were on his hair, completing his celebrity-like look. His hazelnut-colored eyes were droopy-looking and he had a bored expression on his face. “ **Toya Fujiwara** , the **Super High School Level Street Racer**.”

“No way,” breathed Hayate after the pair’s introductions. “Lala the Explorer and Whirlwind Toya? You guys are going to high school?”

“Unwillingly, I just said,” said Toya haughtily. He reminded Seiji of the spoiled movie stars who easily gets what they want. At least that was his impression of the racer. “Got into probation. So the court ordered me to go to Hope’s Peak.”

“Right, that stunt you pulled was really something!” Hayate looked excited, like he just met his idols or something. “Though it _was_ illegal, since you were racing in the middle of a sub-urban street.”

“Eh, nothing beats the thrill of street racing,” replied Toya nonchalantly. “I don’t see what got the higher-ups shaken up, it’s not like I’m killing people left and right.”

“You’re a pro racer though,” said Hayate. Toya raised an eyebrow, so he continued hesitantly. “Couldn’t you have-”

“I don’t let others dictate the way I’m living,” replied Toya simply and that was enough to shut Hayate up.

“You know a lot about Fujiwara-san,” observed Lala. She was grinning as she spoke. “Were you some kind of hardcore fan?”

“I’m the Super High School Level Vlogger,” said Hayate in what could be his own version of a boast. “Anything going on in the internet is my business. And Toya-chi’s frequently on the news.” He then looked at Lala with a critical eye, which Seiji knew was his “intrigued” face. “And so are you, Lala-tan. Last I heard, your expedition in Cambodia was a success?”

“Too much of a success,” replied Lala bitterly. “It was quite the hoard that the country was hounding me to share some of it with them.” She snorted as if the idea sounded ridiculous. “Though it was technically Khmer property and they’re long gone, aren’t they?”

“But Cambodia argued it’s rightfully theirs, right?” Seiji swam into the conversation, grabbing Lala and Hayate’s attention. “Recent international tenets denote that anything discovered with cultural value should be preserved on the country where its found. I’m sure Cambodia would press for repatriation if you managed to sell the artifacts you found to museums.”

“That’s not how treasure hunting works though,” said Lala. “Archeologists follow those stuck-up rules, but we live for treasure and treasure alone.” She eyed Seiji with a critical eye. “But you’re a pretty knowledgeable dude. Who’re you and what’s your Talent?”

Seiji gulped at the intense stare the treasure hunter was giving. “Seiji Kodo, Super High School Level Cryptanalyst.”

“A cryptanalyst?!” Lala looked very impressed, which was saying something with all the meager reactions his Talent prompted. “Oh man, you’ll be a real doozy on those fancy Mayan temple puzzles and the codes on those fancy Egyptian tombs.” Her eyes had gone wide, as if a lightbulb just popped up on her head. “You’ve got to join my expedition team, Seiji!”

Lala suddenly closed in on him that it made Seiji step back. Plus, she was skipping the formalities to refer to him a first-name basis! He was perturbed, of course, especially with the way her eyes were shining. “You know Egyptian?” she suddenly asked, stepping forward while he step back. The routine continued, while she kept on mumbling. “I’ll teach you, so you don’t have to worry. You look a bit thin though, so we need to put some muscle on you first. We don’t want you dying before you get to crack the codes and-”

Seiji’s back hit the wall with a thump. He raised his hands, trying to push the girl off. How should he refuse her without being mean? “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’ll be joining your team…”

“Why not?” Judging from Lala’s face, Seiji refusing never even crossed her mind. “It’d be an adventure! Don’t boys like things like that? Plus you’ll be incredibly wealthy you don’t have to work for the rest of your life!”

God, the girl was astoundingly stubborn. “As much as that sounds enticing, I would have to refuse. Also, I have to attend Hope’s Peak Academy!”

“Oh right, Hope’s Peak.” Lala looked deflated and Seiji sighed in relief when she moved away from him. “That problem with Cambodia put me in the government’s naughty radar. And they banned me from doing further overseas expedition, unless I graduate from Hope’s Peak Academy. _Gaaah_ , this is all so frustrating!”

“I can tell,” snapped Seiji, though he was supposed to be holding the thought in.

“Oh, so that’s why you’re transferring.” Hayate had been listening to every word with an amused expression. He even winked at Seiji for some reason. “At least you’ve got whole three years to convince Seijin to join you, Lala-tan.”

Oh great, now Hayate had a nickname for him too. Plus, the vlogger just put fuel to the fire. Lala was jumping up and down like a giddy kindergartener. “Great idea, Hayate-kun!”

Seiji gave Hayate the stink-eye, who refused to look him in the eye. While Lala babbled some more on the excitement of treasure hunting, Hayate turned to Gora, who was eerily silent the whole time. Seiji figured the mailman must be used to staying in the background while Hayate did all the talking “So, you woke up somewhere around here, Gorin?”

“Yes, I was with Lala-chan in the gym,” replied Gora, pointing at the glass panes where indeed a gym could be found, complete with treadmills, bench presses and even a trampoline. “We came out looking for anyone who could help us. Then we met Toya-kun.”

Seiji and Hayate looked inquiringly at Toya, who yawned but soon took the hint. “Oh, I came from the floor above. There were around five other people over there.”

“ _Five_?!”

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part was getting too long, so I had to cut it there.
> 
> With four more people, it’s character recap time!
> 
> (1) Super High School Level Cryptanalyst – Seiji Kodo
> 
> (2) Super High School Level Bartender – Saki Kagamine 
> 
> (3) Super High School Level Figure Skater – Fuyo Tadashi 
> 
> (4) Super High School Level Vlogger – Hayate Taiga 
> 
> (5) Super High School Level Mailman – Gora Raino 
> 
> (6) Super High School Level Flight Stewardess – Tsubasa Shiratori
> 
> (7) Super High School Level Events Coordinator – Mana Kakeuchi 
> 
> (8) Super High School Level Angler – Sango Hamachi (Sango = Coral)
> 
> (9) Super High School Level Beauty Queen – Reina Kagayaki (Reina is Spanish for Queen)
> 
> (10) Super High School Level Treasure Hunter – Lala Yamashita (Lala from Lara Croft)
> 
> (11) Super High School Level Street Racer – Toya Fujiwara (Toya from Toyota)
> 
> We’re almost done with the introductions. Five more people to go!


	4. Prologue: Standing at the Crossroads - Part 4

* * *

“ _Five_?!”

Seiji and Hayate spoke at the same time, their voices full of incredulity. Toya merely shrugged in response. “I woke up in some kind of souvenir shop. I was with that figure skater chick, but she just gave me a cold glare then walked out.”

“Are you talking about Fuyo Tadashi?” asked Hayate. Seiji remembered the girl who came in after him. He heard Toya describe the figure skater, wherein Hayate confirmed that it was actually her.

“Don’t know where she was headed, though,” said Toya. “Then I met this bartender guy with that extremely shy glasses-girl. Then a pair of weird brats. After that, I found the stairs, went down and explored this floor.”

“Did the stairs only go down?” asked Seiji.

“Nope,” replied Toya, yawning again. “It goes up to some kind of tiny room. It’s made of glass, but it was covered by something, so you couldn’t see anything. The door’s locked, too.”

Seiji nodded. “If this is a ship, then that might be the deck.”

Gora, Toya and Lala noticeably perked up at the mention of a ship, so Hayate went to explain the situation to them, including the people they met and the plan to congregate on the reception area. Meanwhile, Seiji contemplated on the best way to proceed.

“And that’s the gist of it,” said Hayate, finally wrapping things up.

“Wow, you guys got it all worked out,” stated Lala with a thumbs up. “As for this floor, there’s only little to show. Aside from this hallway connecting the elevator and the stairs, the rest are blocked.” She turned to the corridor in the direction of the room tagged spa, where several huge steel bars were propped. “We can’t go this way and…” She twisted to the opposite hallway, where more steel bars can be seen, though it was a few feet further than the one near them. “…that one leads to a dead end.”

“Aside from the gym, there’s a room with all with an obstacle course and a wall for indoor climbing,” added Gora, pointing at the room opposite the gym, on the hallway that was partly accessible. “Aside from that, there’s the locked spa, the supply closets near the elevator and the restrooms.”

“Compared to the previous floor, this one’s got a lot of barricades, huh?” Hayate spoke the exact thought Seiji was having. “It’s like we’re being restricted on where we go.”

“Bad idea,” said Toya, clicking his tongue and gritting his teeth. “Not content on putting a leash on me, huh? As if they can bully me into following orders like a nice little puppy.”

“Whoa there, Romeo,” said Lala in a teasing tone. “No need to get your panties in a twist. I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for all of this.”

“Panties, huh?” Toya looked more composed, but he wore a very mischievous grin, eyeing Lala from head to toe. “I don’t wear panties, but I’m pretty good at getting them off with just one hand…”

“No thanks,” replied Lala with a deadpanned expression. “Smooth-talkers like you will definitely stab me in the back when they get the chance.” She then looked at Seiji with a grin. “I prefer the nerdy types – they’re good at following orders.”

Seiji made a small choking sound, while Gora flushed tomato red. On other hand, Hayate looked like he unearthed some juicy secret. “So Lala-tan’s a dominatrix type, eh,” he mumbled discreetly, though Seiji could unfortunately hear him.

“A-anyway,” said Seiji with a cough. He definitely had to get away from the treasure hunter and the quicker he placed some distance between them, the better. “If there’s nothing else, we should go talk to the five other people Toya-san was talking about. If we can gather everyone in one place, it’d be easier to exchange information.”

“Yeah, it’s better than everyone wildly going around the place.” Hayate turned to Lala and Toya. “You two should head downstairs and wait in the reception area.”

Toya nodded. “I’m getting tired of walking around, so yeah, why not?”

Lala looked like she needed some convincing. “Wouldn’t it be better if I go with you guys?”

“W-we need someone to stay there, just in case someone else dropped by!” It was lucky that was quick thinking on his feet was one of Seiji’s better skills. “You can convince them to wait for the others to appear, Lala-san.”

“Okay, I think I can do that,” replied Lala. Seiji had to stop the relief from showing on his face.

“Gorin will come with us as back-up,” said Hayate. “Just in case we need some muscle.”

“Roger that, Hayatan!” agreed Gora with a big grin.

Seiji wasted no time shooing Lala and Toya to the staircase. Once they had gone, he let out all the breath he was holding in.

“Looks like you’ve got a fan, Seijin,” teased Hayate. “Lala-tan look like someone who will hound you to the last place in Earth.”

“I’d go to another planet if that’s the case,” said Seiji bluntly. “Anyway, let’s just go to the next floor and have Saki-san and the rest come down, too.”

“Saki-san?” Seiji started on the stairs, with Hayate’s voice and Gora’s heavy footsteps echoing behind him. “You mean Saki Kagamine, the Super High School Level Bartender, right?”

“Yes, if what Toya-san said was the truth, then Saki and at least three others are on this floor. It’s safe to say that Fuyo-san had probably gone to another floor.” Seiji finished just in time to arrive on the next floor.

This floor was visibly different than the last, though it had the same set-up. The hallway they were in led to the elevator and two walls kept them in. Another pair of comfort rooms were on Seiji’s right and another small pathway came between the toilets. This time, the path goes to a fresh door, which was also made of glass but was bigger than the gym’s on the previous floor. It had a sign that spelled RESTAURANT and it was pretty obvious with the dining tables inside the room. Opposite it was a room with glass windows and a wooden door with a bell and a sign with CAFÉ on it. This one was also apparent, as Seiji could see a wide counter table near the wall, with all sorts of coffee-making equipment and displays of cakes and sweets. Only the barista was missing. Several circular tables were scattered around the room, with small wooden chairs surrounding them. On one chair, a short boy was staring at them suspiciously through the glass.

Seiji tried to smile at him, but the other boy’s frown would not turn upside down. Ever the sociable pair, Hayate and Gora quickly moved towards the café door and Seiji had no choice but to follow them. The boy stayed on his seat, but his eyes did not leave the three teenagers.

Walking up towards the new guy, Seiji could see that he looked a little too young to be a high schooler. He was definitely the shortest among the people he met so far and was also thin, like he hadn’t developed any visible muscles yet. He was dressed tidily in a simple bluish-black _gakuran_ and pants, which somewhat made his baby-faced features look a little more mature. Only a little though. Seiji saw a glimpse of his feet, which was covered by a pair of polished brown leather shoes. His short and straight red hair was neatly brushed and pressed and his bangs were mechanically styled to both sides of his face. Though a small cowlick can be seen on the top of his head, which was the only thing that contrasted his fastidious appearance. His golden eyes regarded them with some contempt and his posture vibrated with immense irritation. Him being in a bad mood was an understatement.

Hayate flinched at the glares the boy was giving but pressed on to talk to him. “You’re in the waiting area for the D-Ship, right? I remembered talking to you and-”

“My answer’s still the same,” said the boy, suddenly cutting in. “I’m not going to do your stupid interview.”

Hayate raised an eyebrow. “There’s no need to be so rude,” he said, but the sitting boy did not reply. “And anyway, I’m not here for an interview. We’re trying to gather people together, since we’re in a questionable situation right now.”

The boy did not even bat an eye. “So?”

Hayate grumbled and Seiji came to the rescue. “So we’d like some information.” The cryptanalyst tried not to cower beneath the boy’s glare. “Your name, Talent and what’s in this floor is a start-”

“And why should I tell you my name?” asked the boy rudely. “Logically, if we are in a potentially dangerous situation, you won’t be divulging information someone may use against you.” He smirked. “Those other guys tried, but they’re not getting anything out of me. What made you think you can do what they can’t? Just leave me alone.”

That was the last straw for Hayate. “Let’s just leave him be.”

“But Hayatan,” started Gora, but he seemed to be unable to provide any reason to stay.

Seiji, however, was used to dealing with people like this boy. He couldn’t count on one hand the many insufferable spies and agents he had to work with. “That might be true,” he said, looking straight in the eyes. “But you can’t pretend you’re the only victim here. The rest of us were also suddenly thrown into this situation and it’s only normal that we’d be suspicious of each other. But if someone in the group wouldn’t cooperate, that just makes him the most suspicious one, right?”

“W-what?” The boy seemed to be shaken at this hole in his logic.

Seiji smiled; he knew he got this in the bag. “Logically, that would make people think he had something to do with whatever is going on. Withholding information would only make him the likely culprit.”

“Hmph,” grumbled the boy. “If you really must know, my name is **Kyou Shouko** and I’m the **Super High School Level Chocolatier**.”

“I see,” said Seiji, still grinning. “That wasn’t so hard now, was it?”

Kyou blushed slightly, confusing Seiji. But it was gone the moment the brunette blinked. “As for this floor, it’s full of shops and places to get food.”

“Places to get food?” repeated Hayate.

“Like this café, idiot,” replied Kyou. “You probably saw the restaurant when you came out of the stairs, right? There’s something that looks like a bar and a convenience store further back, also what looks like a souvenir shop. There’s also a huge room you couldn’t open and the other hallways this café is connected to is blocked. You couldn’t even open the other doors.” He pointed at two more wooden doors other than the one Seiji and the guys entered. They do led to different corridors, but red tape was plastered all over them. Seiji had no reason to doubt that Kyou was lying about those doors being locked.

“Well, that’s everything I know,” said Kyou, eyeing them with irritation. “Now, it’s your turn to share what you know.”

Since Hayate was not in the mood to speak, Seiji filled Kyou about what they had all gathered so far, including the planned meet-up at the reception area two floors below. He also introduced himself, along with Hayate and Gora.

“Hmmm…” Kyou looked like he was thinking things through when Seiji finished. “So we’re in some kind of ship, but you’re not sure if it’s the D-Ship.” He paused before eyeing Seiji with a neutral expression. “But other than that, don’t you think this place is too excessive?”

“What do you mean?” This thought had come across Seiji, but he did not know what to do with it.

“The extravagant carpeting and the decorations,” explained Kyou. “Then the fact that there’s a gym, a room for obstacle courses then having a café, a restaurant and a bar? If we’re simply being delivered to the school’s island, why the hell does it feel like we’re in some kind of cruise ship?”

Seiji wouldn’t know, since he was never in a cruise ship. Hayate spluttered at this, however. “Now that you mention it…”

“So this place reminds you guys of a cruise ship?” asked Seiji.

Kyou opened his mouth to speak, but a piercing shriek reverberated in the air. “No, this place is _cursed_!”

Seiji, Hayate and Gora jumped back at the sudden appearance of a short and very pale girl dressed in black and dark purple. She was hiding near the café counter, so the three didn’t see her when they entered. She was too short for a high school girl, with even Kyou towering a few centimeters over her. Not to mention her outfit made her look younger – a gaudily-decorated and frilly blouse and skirt combo that Seiji only saw on those gothic-looking dolls they sell for young girls. She even had a bonnet and red doll shoes to complete the look. She had short bobbed green hair and frightened ruby-colored eyes on a round face, which also held some freckles. At first glance, she looked like an adorable girl on dress-up, but she had a dark eyeshadow and was holding a straw doll with a nail on its head. Seiji didn’t know if there was such a word as creepy-cute but it summarized everything about her.

“Oh,” said Kyou, looking at the girl with an annoyed expression. “You’re still here, huh.”

“Of course Ami is still here,” said the doll-like girl in a high-pitched voice. “The outside world is a very terrifying place!” Then she sat on the floor, hugged her knees as she mumbled some more. “StupidboythinkshecanscareAmioff. WellheswrongAmiisnotgoinganywhere.”

Seiji was weirded out by the strange behavior, but he figured he should let the girl know what was happening. “Um, is your name Ami?”

“How the hell did you know that?!” screamed the girl, suddenly standing up to a point a finger on Seiji. “Did you read my mind?! Are you some kind of psychic?!”

Seiji raised his hands to assure the girl he had no ill will. “No, I heard you-”

“I-I can curse you, you know!” said the girl, holding the straw doll up. “I know voodoo and I’m not going to hesitate to you use it on you!”

“What? Voodoo?” Seiji was lost now. “Curse? I’m just trying to figure out where we are. And I’m not reading your mind, honest.”

“Oh…” The girl deflated and Seiji sighed. Somehow, he felt like he just avoided a catastrophe. Then the girl suddenly changed topics. “You think we’re in a ship? Ami thinks that too, she is getting seasick as time passes by.”

“So your name is Ami?” Seiji went back to the previous discussion, hoping it would not elicit another deranged reaction.

“Yes, Ami is **Ami Kurumi** ,” replied the girl. “Ami is the **Super High School Level Plushie Producer**.”

Seiji was a bit surprised at her Talent. “Plushie?”

“Ami makes stuffed dolls.” Ami proudly presented the straw doll which – to Seiji’s horror – had a caricature of a teary face on what could be bloody red ink. “Ami is very good at making stuffed dolls.”

“I see…” Seiji was feeling creeped out, but he was trying to put on a smiling face. “My name is Seiji Kodo and we’re gathering all the people two floors down. After that, we’ll all talk about what we know and hopefully find a way out of this place.”

Ami nodded like an obedient child. “Ami understands. Ami wants to go home, so Ami will go to meeting place and wait for Seiji-nii-chan to return.”

Seiji-nii-chan? Seiji was a big brother now? “Ah, right, go ahead and do that, Ami.”

Ami did not wait for further instruction. She quickly rushed out of the café and into the stairs. Seiji and the others watched her go.

“Huh,” said Kyou. “Didn’t think she was capable of understanding the human language.” He stretched his arms and stood up. “I guess I’ll go wait at the meeting spot, too.”

“Are you making sure Ami-chan is safe?” asked Hayate in a teasing tone. “What a sweet guy you are.”

“What? No, I’m not!” Kyou blushed red. In fury, perhaps, Seiji wasn’t sure. “I don’t care about that midget one bit!”

“Midget?” Hayate chuckled. “Pot calling the kettle black, eh? You’re a midget yourself, Shouko-kun.”

“S-shut up!” yelled Kyou and this time he was definitely red with anger. “I’ll have you know, I’m still growing, unlike you old losers!” And with a temper befitting of a toddler, he stomped out of the café and unto the stairs.

“What beautiful attitude,” said Hayate, prompting a questioning look from Seiji. Kyou had the textbook definition of bad behavior for the cryptanalyst. “It’s sarcasm, Seijin, I was thinking the opposite.”

“Oh.”

“But good job there, Seiji-san!” Gora looked very impressed at Seiji. “We met those two in the waiting area, but they won’t even give us a second glance.”

“Shouko-san was one thing, but getting Kurumi-chan to calm down and think rationally?” Hayate looked equally awed as well. “You might be the Super High School Level Weirdo Whisperer!”

“I was only trying to explain myself to her, I didn’t do anything special.” To be honest, Seiji was feeling extremely fatigued at having those difficult conversations with the two teens.

“Still, there’s a reason why people think Ami Kurumi is a loony and stay far away from her,” explained Hayate. “You’d never expect it from her, but she’s good at what she does though.”

“That plushie producing thing? Straw dolls are famous now?”

“Straw dolls?” Hayate shook his head. “No way those things will sell. I’m talking about this.” He fished out a tablet out of his backpack and showed some pictures to Seiji.

Seiji could not believe it. “She made _these_?”

“Surprising, right? But that’s what Ami Kurumi is known for.”

Seiji shook his head as he turned back to the pictures. Stuffed toys of all shapes and sizes were on it, all looking adorable and fluffy. There was no reason to believe that these won’t sell well. But could that girl be the one who created all these?

Hayate took his tablet back. “I won’t be surprised if you don’t believe me, but there’s no reason for me to lie.”

Seiji nodded, there was indeed no reason to doubt Hayate. The vlogger had shown to be very knowledgeable of the Talented students. And anyway, whether Ami did make those stuffed toys in the pictures was not important right now. “That’s two people. If Toya-san was right, there would be two more in this floor.”

“If we didn’t miss them in the stairs,” said Hayate. “But yeah, let’s go look for them.”

Going back to the door they came from – and which Ami and Kyou used to leave – the three boys continued on the hallway until they reached the point where it split into three directions. To their north was another elevator and another set of supply closets right next to it. To their west, the path was heavily barricaded just like in the previous floor, but instead of steel poles, yellow tape like those used in crime scenes barred the way instead. It was made by some kind of malleable material but was tough enough not to break or tear under pressure. On the east side, Seiji could see what looked like a huge steel gate on the very end.

“Could that be the huge room Kyou-kun was talking about?” asked Gora.

“Well, there’s only one thing to do to make sure,” said Hayate before he took the east pathway. Seiji and Gora had no choice but to follow.

While they walked, Seiji looked around him. Glass panes were on both sides of him and Seiji felt like he was walking on the corridor of a shopping mall. The restaurant was on his right while different shops were located on the left side. He passed what could be a souvenir shop – with all the T-shirts, keychains and other trinkets in display – and then a convenience store with a vending machine and rows of merchandise. Both places had a countertop and a cash register but no cashier whatsoever. The last room before the huge gate was the bar Kyou mentioned and on the opposite side, the rather large restaurant finally ended to give way to a windowless wall. While Hayate and Gora were focused on the gate, Seiji saw that the bar was not completely empty, unlike the past two rooms. Inside, a tall black-haired teen was looking at a hanging cabinet, where rows of wine bottles congregated.

“Saki-san!” said Seiji, catching Hayate and Gora’s attention and Saki’s as well, who turned to him with surprise before grinning. Seiji grabbed the doorknob and pulled, crossing the threshold to the rather dizzy atmosphere of the saloon.

“ _Eeeek_!”  A shriek made Seiji jump and he turned to see a girl sitting on a nearby lounge chair, who visibly paled and cowered at the sight of the sudden intruders. She wrapped her arms around her thin body as if for defense.

“It’s alright, Kaeri-chan,” said Saki in a soothing voice, walking towards the three guys. “Seiji-kun is a Hope’s Peak student like us.”

The girl called Kaeri-chan nodded but did not speak a word. She looked less frightened but kept her arms around her. She was quite tall but appeared shorter due to the way she stiffened and cowered when someone spared her a glance. It was like the natural instinct of a turtle to hide beneath its shell when threatened. An oversized yellow sweater covered most of her upper body, while a simple gray skirt, pink socks and white sneakers completed her outfit. She had a fair complexion and a rather thin figure, like she was underfed or something. She wore thick eyeglasses over scared purple eyes and she had messy violet hair that ended up on her elbows. A pink ribbon-shaped hair clip held her bangs in place and without it, it would have covered both her eyes. Her ears were not pierced and she wore no neck or arm accessories, though she hugged a black leather satchel. Some pencils poked out from the side pockets of the bag and Seiji wondered if her Talent was art-related.

“So you guys are stuck here, too?” asked Saki, looking at Seiji then at Hayate and finally Gora. “Does that mean we’re in the D-Ship?”

“Probably,” replied Seiji. “But we have reason to believe that we might be in some kind of cruise ship instead.”

“I-I agree w-with that statement,” said Kaeri, addressing them nervously. To Seiji, she looked a small animal who suffered constant abuse.

“Hmm, if Kaeri-chan says so, then that must be right.”

“Why would she be right about that?” asked Seiji, astounded at the way Saki accepted Kaeri’s words without the slightest doubt.

“Hm? Oh, right.” Saki chuckled, looking as if he was amused by his own private joke. “You guys wouldn’t know, but Kaeri-chan’s the **Super High School Level Interior Decorator**.”

Saki paused, letting the statement sink in before continuing. “If there’s someone who could tell us where we are just by looking around, it’d be her.”

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we meet the shota and loli of the cast! And the quintessential shrinking violet. It wouldn’t be fun without them.
> 
> Dayum, almost there, but here’s our character recap.
> 
> (1) Super High School Level Cryptanalyst – Seiji Kodo
> 
> (2) Super High School Level Bartender – Saki Kagamine 
> 
> (3) Super High School Level Figure Skater – Fuyo Tadashi 
> 
> (4) Super High School Level Vlogger – Hayate Taiga 
> 
> (5) Super High School Level Mailman – Gora Raino 
> 
> (6) Super High School Level Flight Stewardess – Tsubasa Shiratori
> 
> (7) Super High School Level Events Coordinator – Mana Kakeuchi 
> 
> (8) Super High School Level Angler – Sango Hamachi 
> 
> (9) Super High School Level Beauty Queen – Reina Kagayaki
> 
> (10) Super High School Level Treasure Hunter – Lala Yamashita
> 
> (11) Super High School Level Street Racer – Toya Fujiwara
> 
> (12) Super High School Level Chocolatier – Kyou Shouko (Shouko = Choco)
> 
> (13) Super High School Level Plushie Producer – Ami Kurumi (Amigurumi = Japanese handcrafted toy)
> 
> (14) Super High School Level Interior Decorator – Kaeri ???
> 
> Two more and we can finally get the game started. Exciting!


	5. Prologue: Standing at the Crossroads - Part 5

* * *

_“If there’s someone who could tell us where we are just by looking around, it’d be her.”_

Seiji looked at Kaeri, the Super High School Level Interior Decorator. “Is that true?”

“Y-yes,” replied Kaeri, slightly shivering at Seiji’s stare. “M-my name is **Kaeri Masuyo** and that is indeed my Talent. I’m known more as the On-”

“The ‘Online Silky’!” roared Hayate excitedly, looking at Kaeri in a new light. “So this is the Online Silky’s true identity?!”

“Online Silky?” Great, another reference Seiji did not get.

Saki looked just as confused as the cryptanalyst however. “I don’t know who that is either.”

“Me too!” said Gora cheerfully.

“Well, that’s to be expected,” said Hayate. “Many people dismissed the Online Silky as another silly internet rumor, but I knew there was some truth to it!”

“Calm down Hayate-san and start from the beginning.” Seiji was so used to the vlogger’s company in the short frame of time they were together that he knew he could go off-kilter at the slightest provocation.

“Ah, right, sorry!” Hayate did not look one bit apologetic however. “Well, it started out as a dodgy online site where someone offered to rearrange someone’s room for a price.”

“Hiring someone online isn’t that much of a rarity nowadays though,” commented Saki.

“Yes, but this person would only do it if the client isn’t around!”

“Wouldn’t that make people suspicious?” said Seiji. “Logically, people won’t leave their house to a stranger, especially if they had important belongings inside. This person could be a thief masquerading as a designer.”

“Right, that’s why nobody hired her. At _first_.”

It was clear that Hayate was doing all this for dramatic effect. “Carry on,” said Seiji a little irritably.

“But when someone tried it for fun, they got blown away by the results!” Hayate looked like he was having fun regaling the tale. “They got the bedroom they always wanted and for such a cheap price they wondered how this online person got the furniture.”

“And it grew from there?” asked Saki.

“Yep,” said Hayate proudly, like he was the one doing the miraculous redecorating. “People only had to send them an e-mail detailing what they want, their address and the time they’ll be gone. Then bam, instant home of your dreams! It didn’t take months for people to call them the ‘Online Silky’.”

“Silky…” Saki had a thoughtful look on his face. “So like that fairy that cleans your house while your asleep? Fitting for someone who never showed their face.”

“Bingo, Sakichi.” Saki looked like he didn’t like his new nickname that much but Hayate was so busy talking the vlogger didn’t even notice. “Some people set up cameras to try and get a glimpse of this genius interior decorator, but Online Silky was smart enough not to accept the requests of those detective wannabes.”

“So nobody knew their identity until now?” asked Seiji, turning to the person in question.

“N-not exactly,” replied Kaeri timidly.

“Yeah, Hope’s Peak got hold of them two years ago,” said Hayate. “That’s how people knew they were a teenager, you see. And said that they must be the **Super High School Level Interior Decorator**.” His smile faltered as he thought of something. “But Online Silky never showed up at Hope’s Peak, not that I know anyway.”

“That’s because she just transferred this year,” said Saki, looking at Kaeri, who blushed at the sight of the bartender’s impressed smile. “That right, Kaeri-chan?”

Kaeri nodded. “I-it was an excuse to stop the Online Silky rumor,” she confessed. “I-I’m not really good at d-dealing with people so…”

“Which is consistent with the way Online Silky would go out of her way to work on people’s homes when they’re not around,” concluded Seiji. There was no reason to doubt that Kaeri was indeed the Online Silky. The girl wasn’t inclined to hide her identity from them though, after all the roundabout efforts to do so in the past, which was a bit suspicious for Seiji.

“But why wait for two years?” asked Hayate. “Wait, let me get my cam, we can do an interview right-”

“Hayate-san,” interjected Seiji. “We’re supposed to be investigating, remember?”

“Ah, right!” said Hayate, looking a bit put out. “But with Kaeri’s expert opinion, we can definitely conclude we’re on a cruise ship. Problem solved!”

“Far from it,” stated Seiji. “I don’t think the D-Ship was supposed to be a cruise liner.”

“You’re right,” said Saki with a nod. “The trip’s supposed to be two days at most, right? Not enough time for a luxury cruise.”

“B-but this is definitely a c-cruise ship,” insisted Kaeri with a pout. “Y-you even checked the wine cabinet, S-saki-san…”

“True, we’ve got some expensive wine right here.” So Saki was trying to figure out if the place was a cruise ship by checking out the alcohol its bar stocked, thought Seiji. “All authentic ones. My favorite Viognier is even here.”

“Is that some kind of wine?” asked Hayate. “Aren’t you underage?”

“The fact that I can’t drink doesn’t mean I can’t have a favorite wine.”

With the information he had gathered, Seiji can definitely conclude without a shadow of a doubt that they were on some kind of cruise ship. But there were still several mysteries to be solved. “I think we should head back to the reception area,” he suggested. “We’ve almost consumed our time limit, right?”

“Oh shucks, you’re right!” exclaimed Hayate after a glance at his watch.

“What’s this about a reception area?” asked Saki, with Kaeri looking on with a puzzled expression. Hayate quickly explained the situation to them and got the two to agree to come with them to the lower floors.

“Anything you could tell me about that gate out on front?” Seiji asked Saki as the five teenagers got ready to go.

“Only that it’s shut tight,” replied Saki with a grin.

* * *

Seiji, Hayate, Gora, Saki and Kaeri went down the stairs without meeting anyone in the way. As they descended unto the floor where Seiji first found himself, he could hear the chattering of what could be at least five voices.

“There you are!” said Mana with an annoyed voice. She was waiting for them at the staircase’s landing. “You two took your sweet time.” She then gazed at Gora, Saki and Kaeri. “And brought three more people with you. Just how many people are in here anyway?”

“Sixteen, if our hunch is right,” replied Saki. “And you must be…”

“I-ikemen!” Mana suddenly gasped, making Seiji and Hayate turn to her. The girl then suddenly adopted a sweet tone as she addressed Saki. “I-I m-mean, my name is Mana Kakeuchi~”

Both Seiji and Hayate were once again disturbed by Mana’s hundred-eighty shift in personality. Saki and Gora looked like they didn’t mind and the teens introduced themselves to the events coordinator. Only Kaeri showed visible discomfort at Mana’s behavior.

Seiji decided to leave them to it, with Hayate having the same idea and tailed him. The lobby was now full of people, lounging on the chairs or just standing nearby. Seiji saw Reina, Lala, Toya, Ami, Kyou and a girl he didn’t recognize.

“More allies of justice!” exclaimed the girl, who quickly rushed to them, dressed in the most ridiculous outfit Seiji had ever seen.

“Ugh, not her…” said Hayate with a sigh. It surprised Seiji, since the vlogger was always happy to interact with fellow Talented students.

“Video Ranger!” yelled the girl, looking straight at Hayate. “It is good to see you well and fine!”

Video Ranger? Who? Seiji was once again thrown in a ridiculous conversation.

“N-nice to see you again, Ayano-san,” said Hayate with a strained smile. Seiji was alarmed to see him in such a state and especially how he sounded so polite!

“Video Ranger, I thought I told you not to use my real name!” replied the girl Hayate called Ayano. “From here on out, call me **Sailor Pure** , your co-ally of justice!”

Seiji felt like he had to intervene, unless he wanted his brain to turn to mush. “I apologize, but I’m not sure I’m following the conversation…”

“A civilian!” exclaimed Ayano, taking a good look at Seiji while invading his personal space at the same time. “Worry not, dear civilian, I, the **Super High School Level Magical Girl Warrior** , Sailor Pure, will protect you from any danger!”

“Super High School Level _what_?” Seiji’s knowledge on anime and manga was limited, but he recognized a cosplayer when he sees one. Ayano – or Sailor Pure, whatever she called herself – ticked all the boxes. She was dressed in an elaborate costume made of some kind of white, pink and red fabric, forming a blouse sewn with ridiculous amounts of ribbons and an extremely frilly skirt that it almost formed a puffy umbrella. Her heeled pink boots reached up to her knee, with golden decorations and more ribbons. A pink toy gun with huge hearts was holstered on her belt, which also held a red yo-yo with a heart design, a pink walkie-talkie in the figure of a teddy bear and a humungous red ribbon at the back. Finally, she wore some kind of pink motorcycle helmet that had holes to let her long blonde pigtails come out from both sides of her head. Beneath the plain clear front part of the helmet was a round face with bright periwinkle eyes, upturned nose and pointed chin. She was on the short and adorable side of the spectrum and had a fair skin tone. She would have been attractive, if not for the over-the-top outfit and the heart-topped baton – with an oversized ribbon, of course – she was waving around.

Ayano opened her mouth to speak. “Super High School Level Magical Gi-”

“Seijin, this is **Ayano Fukuda** ,” cut in Hayate quickly, as if he was trying to get the conversation over with. “She’s the **Super High School Level Bouncer**. Ayano-san, meet Seiji Kodo, Super High School Level Cryptanalyst.”

“Bouncer?” asked Seiji. “Like the bodyguards in the clubs?”

“Cryptanalyst!” exclaimed Ayano at the same time, eyeing Seiji with a distrustful look. “Could you perhaps be one of the aliens hiding amongst us unwary humans?”

“Aliens? What are you talking about?”

“Hmmm…” Ayano proceeded to examine Seiji closely, prompting the guy to step back. It was Lala all over again; seriously, were girls always these aggressive? “You look human, civilian…”

“That’s because he _is_ human,” said Hayate irritably.

“If you say so, Video Ranger, then I shall retreat for the time being.” Ayano went back to a pleasant disposition as she regarded Seiji with warning on her tone. “But you must be vigilant, Civilian Kodo! For the evil alien organization is out to get us any minute now!” And with that, she left the two to hover in the reception area like an overcaffeinated bodyguard.

To Seiji, it felt like a hurricane just came and disappear without a trace. “What was that about?”

Hayate sighed heavily. “Let’s just say she has a few screws loose and leave it at that.”

Seiji was more curious now. Hayate was always happy to share what he knew about the Talented, like with Online Silky just a few minutes ago. It was disconcerting to see him tight-lipped like that but was not able to voice it out since Reina approached them to talk.

“Oh good, you have returned,” said the beauty queen. “Sango told me to wait for you to report on what we had discovered on the lower floor.”

“A-ah, right.” Seiji faced the girl, feeling the same anxious sensation again. But the mention of the angler cleared his mind well enough to think. “Speaking of Sango-san, I don’t see him around here. And neither is Tsubasa-san.”

“They accompanied Yutaka-san and Fuyo-san to check on something,” replied Reina. “You see, Yutaka-san found a room that could be the captain’s quarters.”

“Seriously?!” Hayate looked excited at the prospect. “So that means there’s an adult here, right?”

“The four of them are trying to find out,” replied Reina. “Maybe you’d like to see it for yourself? I don’t think you’ve met Yutaka-san and Fuyo-san, right?”

“The **Super High School Level Entrepreneur** and the Super High School Level Figure Skater,” mumbled Hayate, crossing his arms in a thinking pose.

“You can reach the captain’s room by taking the left hallway once you get down the stairs,” instructed Reina. “Not that you’d get lost, since the other hallway is blocked and the path is quite straightforward.”

“You’ve been there, Reina-san?” asked Seiji.

“Yes, it was where we found Yutaka-san and Ayano-san,” replied Reina. “They were trying to get inside the captain’s room, but to no avail.” Reina put a hand on her cheek as she continued. “It was too bad but we had no choice but to go back here and then we met the others. Then Fuyo-san said she found some kind of key card and wondered if it could open the captain’s room, since it would not work anywhere else. So, she, Sango, Tsubasa-san and Yutaka-san went to check her theory.”

“Wow,” said Hayate with a whistle. “Fuyuyo is kinda resourceful, huh?”

“I will refrain from addressing her as such, Hayate-san,” warned Reina with a kind, motherly smile. “She is a bit hmmm…” She paused, looking for the right words to describe the figure skater. “Rough around the edges, you might say?”

* * *

True to Reina’s words, the path to the theorized captain’s quarters was indeed as straightforward as it goes. Seiji and Hayate descended on the floor below, which for the meantime, was the lowest one they could get into. It had the same set-up as the other floors but had blue carpeting to distinguish it from the rest. It was also sparsely decorated, looking less extravagant than the rest. The two quickly found the locked mess hall and open laundry room Sango and Reina woke up from and the metal grate that served as a barricade to the eastern hallway. Taking the left one instead, they passed through several locked doors and another splitting hallway that ended up on another elevator and another set of stairs, which had another iron grate to keep anyone from using it. Seiji deduced that each floor had both pairs of narrower splitting corridors and consequently stairways and elevators, though the barricades on the hallways of the third and fourth floors prevented them from accessing it. The floor above didn’t have any barricades, except for the doors and windows that possibly led outside, so Seiji thought that there must be another pair, though it was probably unusable like the ones here.

After passing the corridor that connected the second elevator and stairwell, the two heard voices and picked up the pace. More doors were on the way and the path twisted to the right, leading to a boxed-in dead end, with three doors leading to three different rooms. The two boys’ right, four teenagers were huddling over a wooden door on a room with glass panes, which had a sign saying CAPTAIN’S OFFICE. Looking through the glass, it was arranged like a small office, with a desk and a chair, a bookcase at the back, filing cabinets on the wall, a huge person-size globe and couches and coffee table set-up to be some sort of discussion area. It was incredibly dark inside, with the windows on the other side even boarded up.

The girl standing a little bit far from the group noticed the new arrivals. “Oh, Seiji-kun! Hayate-kun!”

“Hey there, Tsuchi!” greeted Hayate, walking to meet the flight stewardess. The other three teenagers noticed them as well, but only Sango glanced to nod. The other two – the girl Seiji knew was Fuyo Tadashi and the guy who could only be Yutaka – were staring at the door like it personally insulted them. Fuyo was pressing buttons on an electronic keypad near the door, but the machine kept echoing a buzzing noise that clearly told they won’t be getting past it.

“No luck?” asked Hayate tentatively.

Sango shook his head. “We tried using it on all the doors with card-key mechanisms, but we couldn’t open any of them.”

“This was a waste of time,” said the other guy. “We’ve already tried knocking on every door in this floor, no one is here aside from us.”

Fuyo nodded coolly. “At least we can say that for certain now.”

“What should we do next then?” asked Sango to no one in particular. “There are no other people in the upper floors, as what Tadashi-san said.”

“Which we can confirm, by the way,” said Hayate in a loud voice, catching everyone’s attention. “Seijin and I have gone to every other floor that we can access. And besides the sixteen of us, there was no other single soul in sight.”

“Hm, you look pretty familiar,” stated Yutaka. “Aren’t you that vlogger with the viral channel? Haya-something.”

“Hayatan, you mean.” Hayate put his arms on his hips, definitely trying to show off. “My name is Hayate Taiga, the Super High School Level Vlogger.”

“Charmed,” said Yutaka, but there was a snide tone in his voice. “And I’m **Yutaka Kaneda**. If you’re really the esteemed vlogger then you probably have heard of me.”

“Of course. You’re just the youngest multimillionaire in all of Japan, the **Super High School Level Entrepreneur**.”

Fitting for someone of that title, Yutaka was dressed smartly and sharply in a fastidious and expensive business suit – a long-sleeved black dinner jacket and a dark buttoned-up vest over a white dress shirt, a pair of grayish white slacks and polished brown leather shoes. A bow tie was on his collar, making him look like he was supposed to be off to some kind of fancy party for the rich and the powerful. He was tall and of a lean, slightly muscled built, with a fair complexion and long and straight dark blue hair tied into a ponytail that reached up to his waist. His bangs were short and parted in the middle, giving a nice view to his forehead. Calculating and narrow brown eyes was on a slightly chiseled face and he reminded Seiji of the cleverer spies on the agency – the ones who wouldn’t mind resorting to the morally gray actions as long as they accomplish their goals. Aside from a golden wristwatch, he wore no other accessories. He caught Seiji looking at him and the cryptanalyst had to quickly avert his gaze.

“So.” It was Fuyo who spoke this time. “These are two guys you were talking about, Shiratori-san?”

“Right!” replied Tsubasa cheerfully. “So we have Hayate-san and Seiji Kodo-kun, the Super High School Level Cryptanalyst.”

“A cryptanalyst?” said Yutaka, looking slightly surprised and probably intrigued? Seiji was not sure, he was quick to adopt a poker face. “I see…”

“Sorry, but what’s a cryptanalyst?” asked Sango, looking puzzled that everyone else seemed to know the term.

Seiji realized that he hadn’t explain his Talent to the angler yet. He gave the shortest and simplest explanation he could muster.

“Decrypting codes, huh,” mumbled Fuyo and Seiji met her rather familiar gaze. The feeling that he knew her intensified, but he knew he never met a figure skater in his entire life. Until now, that is. “If you were also a hacker, it could have been very simple to crack the mechanism on that door.”

The other teenagers turned to Seiji expectantly. He flustered at the sudden attention. “Uh, s-sorry, but my knowledge about computers is minimal at best…”

Hayate sighed dramatically. “Where’s the Super High School Level Hacker when you need them?” He then perked up quite a bit, as if having a great idea. “Why not try to use brute strength to get in? Gorin packs a punch on those arms for example and-”

“Fukuda-san have already tried,” explained Sango. “But she couldn’t even break the door. The barricades were a no-go, too.”

“What kind of wood is that if even Ayano-san couldn’t even damage it?!”

“But is Ayano-san strong enough to do that?” The rest adopted an expression as if he was making a bad joke. Only Hayate looked understanding, but only a little.

“Fukuda-san is the strongest amongst us,” said Yutaka simply. “The most annoying too, I might add.”

“There’s a reason why Ayano-san is the Super High School Level Bouncer,” explained Tsubasa. “If she had wanted, she could be the Super High School Level Fighter or something like that, since I’ve heard she mastered most known types of martial arts.”

“Ah, so you’ve met Ayano-san before here, Tsuchi?” asked Hayate.

“Y-yeah, I’ve been invited to show up on some clubs.”

“As expected from the ‘idol of the sky’,” stated Sango. “Though Fukuda-san is pretty infamous, even a homebody like me have heard of her.”

“It’s rarer for someone not to have heard of her,” said Yutaka, eyeing Seiji suspiciously once again.

Seiji visibly faltered. He did not open his mouth again, though he was sure Fuyo was also giving him odd looks. Then again, how would he know someone as small and skinny as Ayano would be an accomplished martial artist?

A _ding-dong_ sound silenced the six teenagers, frozen in place at the extremely sudden and foreign noise. There was a scratchy din, like someone was trying to get a microphone to work, prompting a few of them to cover their ears at the awful sound.

“Ahem, ahem, is this dastardly thing finally on?” A childish voice echoed amongst them and Seiji knew it was using the PA system. “Hmm? Oh, right. Ahem.”

The teens glanced at each other, varied expressions on their face. Mostly fear and uncertainty, but Seiji was busy calming his heart down to actually know.

“Greetings, dearest guests!” said the voice, adopting a fake professional voice. “This is your Captain speaking. Welcome to the Hope’s Peak Academy’s premier liner of the seas, the D-Ship!”

The D-Ship? Was this actually the D-Ship, despite the clues saying otherwise? And the Captain? But they were beside his office and it was completely empty!

“All of you bastards were chosen to attend Hope’s Peak Academy by the very cliché method of transferring in. How very dull and unentertaining. But that’s life, I guess. You have to take your lot in life and run with it!”

The more this so-called Captain spoke, the less Seiji understood.

“Anyway, you bastards were probably running around in a daze, bawling your eyes out like you’re in the dead girlfriend squad, but guess what?! I am finally ready to get this freakin’ danger Roomba party started!”

Seiji did not like the sound of that one bit.

“So get your butts up here in the Party Hall for orientation! Just take the elevator to the Second Floor Middle Deck and find the biggest door you can find. And don’t make your Captain wait – I have half-a-mind to let you walk the plank if you come in late!” The voice paused a while before continuing. “Half-a-mind? What a lame-ass joke for a lame-ass script! _Upupupupupupu_!”

There was beep as the announcement finally ended.

“W-wha…” For once, Hayate looked like he was lost for words. “What the heck was that?”

“That must be our kidnapper,” said Fuyo, a little shaken up but still acting composed even after that freaky message.

“If that’s the case, then we better do as he says,” stated Yutaka. “Trust me when I say we don’t want to provoke him. Not until we get a good grip of the situation.”

Sango nodded in agreement. “Then we should head for this Party Hall.” He looked around. “Any idea as to where this place might be?”

“I think I know where it is,” answered Seiji, remembering the extremely huge gate on the topmost floor.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, here’s our complete roster:
> 
> (1) Super High School Level Cryptanalyst – Seiji Kodo
> 
> (2) Super High School Level Bartender – Saki Kagamine 
> 
> (3) Super High School Level Figure Skater – Fuyo Tadashi 
> 
> (4) Super High School Level Vlogger – Hayate Taiga 
> 
> (5) Super High School Level Mailman – Gora Raino 
> 
> (6) Super High School Level Flight Stewardess – Tsubasa Shiratori
> 
> (7) Super High School Level Events Coordinator – Mana Kakeuchi 
> 
> (8) Super High School Level Angler – Sango Hamachi 
> 
> (9) Super High School Level Beauty Queen – Reina Kagayaki
> 
> (10) Super High School Level Treasure Hunter – Lala Yamashita
> 
> (11) Super High School Level Street Racer – Toya Fujiwara
> 
> (12) Super High School Level Chocolatier – Kyou Shouko
> 
> (13) Super High School Level Plushie Producer – Ami Kurumi 
> 
> (14) Super High School Level Interior Decorator – Kaeri Masuyo (O/kaeri = welcome home)
> 
> (15) Super High School Level Bouncer/Magical Girl Warrior? – Ayano Fukuda (Fuku as in Sailor Fuku)
> 
> (16) Super High School Level Entrepreneur – Yutaka Kaneda (O/kane = money)
> 
> Next part will conclude the Prologue. And finally, we’ll meet our favorite bear!


	6. Prologue: Standing at the Crossroads - Part 6

* * *

After much discussion, Seiji was able to gather everyone in place and unanimously decide to head to the Party Hall to meet the so-called Captain. Everyone went together, though they had to split into two groups of eight to fit in on the elevator. True to the announcement, the elevator had suddenly started working, although they could only use one of the two available in each floor. Seiji deduced it was designed to keep them from reaching the hallways that were conveniently barricaded.

The elevator finally gave Seiji a reliable way to track the place. There were eight buttons, but only four were blinking – LD1F, LD2F, MD1F, MD2F – while the rest – UD and B on top and ER and CR on the bottom – couldn’t be picked. Fuyo had tried pressing the darkened buttons, but the elevator would not move. Imagining the layout of the place, Seiji concluded a few things. LD1F was where the laundry room and the captain’s office were located and where Sango, Reina, Yutaka and Ayano came to. The LD2F was where the reception area could be found, as well as the clinic that he and Tsubasa awoke to, with Hayate and Mana. The gym and the obstacle course room were in MD1F, which was where Lala and Gora regained consciousness as well as being the most restricted floor. Finally, MD2F housed a restaurant, a café, a bar and several other stores and six people started from there – Saki, Kaeri, Fuyo, Toya, Ami and Kyou. It was also the floor with the huge locked gate, which was presumably the Party Hall the Captain wanted them to go to.

And so, the sixteen teenagers found themselves looking at that said gate, formed by several steel poles lining vertically. These bars ended up into sharp, pointy edges and studying them closely, Seiji realized they came from holes from both the ceiling and the floor. The leftmost pole protruded from above while the one next to it came from the floor. It alternated from there and though it was no complex mechanism, the design was quite roundabout.

“So, this is the Party Hall that voice was talking about?” asked Lala, looking up at the bars distastefully.

“This was the largest door in the whole damn place,” said Kyou.

“Plus the elevator ended up here when we pressed the MD2F,” stated Tsubasa. “And I think MD means Middle Deck, don’t you think?”

“You guys think we’re really in the D-Ship then?” This time it was Toya who spoke.

“We have no reason to doubt it,” came the melodious voice of Reina. “If we can trust that inelegant announcement.”

“T-that announcement scared me…” mumbled Ami in a trembling tone.

“Don’t worry, civilian Kurumi!” Ayano made a rather ridiculous pose. “Sailor Pure will protect each and every one of you!”

“I’m ready to fight, too!” said Gora, pulling up his sleeves. “I will not rest until everyone decries instant messaging!”

“No need to get violent,” prompted Sango. “Let’s just hear the captain out. Maybe he can clear up everything, with the whole situation being a big misunderstanding.”

“He better,” complained Yutaka in an irritated voice. “I creased my clothes when I was knocked out.”

“Still, we better not take his every word seriously,” warned Saki. “We need to get our guard up if something bad happens.”

“I-I agree with S-Saki-kun…” added Kaeri.

“I agree with Saki-sama too~” cooed Mana in her overly sugary personality.

“We’ve got ourselves a rather ragtag team, eh?” claimed Hayate cheerfully, looking around the gathered group.

“Hmm…” Fuyo was uninclined to comment further.

“I wonder when these doors would open,” said Seiji.

As if on voice prompt, a whirring sound echoed and the bars slowly moved back to the holes it came from. It silenced everyone and thirty-two pairs of eyes watched the agonizingly slow pace of the retreating poles. When it finally stopped, everyone breathed out at once.

“So, this is it…” Someone spoke but Seiji did not know who it was. As the person closest to the doors, he grabbed the polished golden lever-type handle to a very gaudy red door. There were too handles and two swinging doors, but he thought opening up only one would suffice. Pushing it down, a clicking noise told him it was open and using all his strength, he pushed the door open.

And the interior of the room took everyone by surprise. Compared to the rest of the ship, it was totally plain.

The Party Hall was humongous and overly spacious, but nothing aside from an elevated stage was there. The carpeting was maroon red and the walls were completely white, like no one bothered to put up some wallpaper. Even though it was called a “party hall”, there were no tables, chairs or anywhere to sit, though Seiji could see two doors on both the northeastern and northwestern side of the wall opposite them and another door on the southeast, probably connected to the restaurant. The only other things of significance were the podium atop the stage with Hope’s Peak Academy’s logo engraved on it and a banner on the wall above the stage that had the words YOUTH IS THE FUTURE’S HOPE in thick black ink.

Hayate was the first to speak up, as usual. “So this is it?”

“I don’t see the captain anywhere,” said Sango.

“That’s because I’m here!” A voice came out from behind the podium. “SURPRISE!”

Seiji gaped. There was no other way to describe his reaction. A short, stocky bear-like thing jumped out to settle on top of the podium, black and white coloring splitting him exactly in the middle. The bear’s right side was entirely white while its left side was all black, with a creepy slasher smile and a crooked flashing red eye. A blue-and-white captain’s hat was on its head, in the middle of two half-circles that could be its ears.

“Hello there, bastards!” said the bear. “I’m your captain, Monobear and welcome to the D-Ship. Also known as the **Despair** **Ship**!”

The bear’s declaration finally snapped Seiji out of his trance and had the same effect to a few others.

“You’re the captain?!” asked Lala incredulously.

“What kind of stupid show is this?” complained Yutaka.

“Oh wow, it’s kinda cute,” commented Tsubasa.

“Really? You’ve got to have your eyes examined,” stated Kyou.

“Shut the hell up, you bastards!” yelled Monobear. “Whether you like it or not, I have taken command of this delightful ship and there’s nothing you bastards can do about it!”

“Not if I can help it!” said Gora, heading out of the group fiercely.

“As an Ally of Justice and Love, I will not stand for your cruel words!” declared Ayano.

“A-are you s-starting a m-mutiny against the captain?” said Monobear in a trembling voice. “That is unacceptable, very unacceptable!”

“If you tell us what’s going on here, we might let you go free,” stated Fuyo with a deadly glint in her eyes. “What is your intention and why have you gathered all of us here?”

“F-for Orientation, of course!”

“You know I don’t mean that,” said Fuyo with another death glare.

“ _Scaryyyyyyyyy_!” Monobear looked the opposite of frightened however, if he could let out a teasing voice like that. “Figure skaters nowadays have very delicate tempers.” He paused as if for dramatic effect. “As delicate as their legs, perhaps? _Upupupupupu_.”

“You piece of shit,” yelled Toya. “That was uncalled for!”

“Yes,” agreed Reina. “How very barbaric.”

“Don’t you mean _bear_ -baric?” said Monobear, chuckling at the joke that nobody found remotely funny. “Complete silence, seriously? Tough crowd, teenagers nowadays.” He shook his little bear head, as if lamenting something. “I bet you’d like memes more. Or hashtags. Like #UrPunIsSoLameButUrSoCuteSoIForgiveU.”

“We’re not here to listen to your ramblings,” stated Saki.

“That’s right,” said Mana. “You better talk or I’ll swear I’ll personally skin you alive, bear!”

“Such violence!” Monobear did not cower at threats but looked even more excited. “The world is not a safe place to rear children anymore. How sad.”

“Are you even going to say something remotely useful?” asked Seiji, getting tired of the way the conversation was progressing.

“Hmph, cryptanalysts, always the party-poppers!” Monobear sounded bored after that. “Well, if you must know, then I better get it out of the way then.”

Monobear looked extremely menacing as he regarded each and every student in the hall. “I’ll cut to the chase, you are here because you’ll be spending the rest of your sorry lives here!”

For once, Kaeri raised her voice. “W-what?!”

“You’re stuck here forever!” announced Monobear. “No emergency exits, no life boats, no navy patrolling the seas, no-”

“W-wait,” Hayate cut in, looking extremely distressed. “Why would you do that? I mean, what do you hope to gain from keeping us here?”

“ _Hope_?!” Monobear looked outraged and it was frightening. “I don’t do ‘hope’. Not today, not in my past incarnations and not on any alternate universes!” He quickly adopted a pleasant tone after that tirade. “But to answer your question, video boy, I keep you here because I can, I want to and you can’t do anything about it.”

“Silence, villain!” shouted Ayano, jumping into action. “I will not let get you away with this awful crime!”

The group watched as Ayano aimed to pummel Monobear’s head with her staff, but huge shadows dropped from above her and pushed her to the ground. She struggled but she was helplessly pinned down by a bunch of huge muscled but metallic bodies on sailor uniforms with Monobear’s head on it. Their design was disconcerting and most especially the fact that the magical girl warrior couldn’t fight them off.

“Consider this a warning from your captain,” said Monobear. “Do something again and I’ll have your head magically sawn off before you can say ‘Henshin Sequence’.”

“You…” Ayano trashed but she could not move a muscle. “You’re part of the alien organization, aren’t you?! You must be one of their high-ranking generals!”

“Whatever makes you sleep at night, missy,” said Monobear. “And don’t even think about it, letter boy!” Gora stopped mid-step as tried to inch near Ayano and her captors. The sadistic bear brandished his sharp claws and point it at Ayano’s neck. “Or you’ll have her head delivered to your doorstep.”

Gora could only give the bear a most terrifying glare that would have made a normal person pee on their pants. “Grrr…”

“Now, as I have demonstrated…” Monobear leaped back to his podium. “I have full control over this ship. Thanks to the very helpful and very loyal Monosailors.” As if in cue, the Monosailors gave the horrified teenagers a salute, even though they were also effortlessly restraining Ayano. “The Monosailors are here to ensure you a perfectly happy stay, as long as you behave like a good little guest should.”

“So you’re just gonna keep us trapped here?!” demanded Toya angrily. “Without any reason at all?!”

“Of course, I have my own reasons!” explained Monobear like he was talking down to some dumb kid. “You just don’t have to know them.”

“Fuck that!” exclaimed Lala. “I’m not buying that horseshit!”

“Bearshit, you mean,” said Monobear. “But you can buy your way into escaping, if you want.”

“What do you mean by that?” asked Yutaka, who was clearly intrigued.

“There’s only one way to leave the D-Ship,” announced Monobear, pausing for dramatic effect. “And that is to kill someone!”

Everybody froze in place. Seiji could not even find his voice with the insane proposition on hand. Extreme shock made everybody’s faces, bodies and voices stone-rigid. It was as if Medusa came to visit, leaving sixteen petrified teenagers on her wake.

The silence was only broken by Ami’s piercing wails. “Noooooo!”

“I-if this some kind of s-sick joke, it’s not f-funny!” Tsubasa rushed to hug the poor plushie-maker, who was shivering on her knees. The stewardess’ trembling words betrayed the fear she actually felt however.

“Y-you want us to murder each other?” said a disbelieving Sango.

“T-this must be some kind of elaborate prank for new s-students!” claimed Hayate, but it was clear on his voice that he wasn’t buying it either.

“No prank, I’m afraid,” said Monobear. “This is real as “real” can be.”

“You can’t be serious!” exclaimed Kyou.

“I am not inclined to believe any of your disreputable words!” said Reina.

“If there’s anything disreputable here, it’d be you, Little Miss Manufactured,” countered Monobear.

“Why I never!”

“You’ve got some big mouth, bear,” intoned Mana angrily. “You’ll pay for that sooner or later, mark my words!”

“By what, throwing me a party?” Monobear looked like he was having fun provoking everyone. “But I’m not such an unrefined ursine that I’d let you run around killing each other like some kind of blood-fest battle royal! I have a special rule set to make sure we have the grandest time of our lives!”

“And what are these rules?” asked Saki.

“I’m about to get there, so chill wine-dude,” said Monobear. “In order to leave, one must kill someone, but get away with it without anyone finding out!”

“You mean you want us to plan our murders and deceive the others?” said Seiji with incredible shock on his face.

“Right on, code-master! You can cut, smash, pierce, shoot, strangle, punch and bite someone to death as long as no one finds you out! I call it…” A Monosailor pulled out an instrument to make the accompanying drum roll. “The **Cruise Life of Mutual Killing**! Shortened to the **Killing Cruise**! KC if you really can’t waste letters in chatrooms.”

“This is what the KC is all about,” continued Monobear when no one commented after his showy unveiling. “When somebody kills someone, an investigation happens before a trial to figure out who murdered who will happen. If the culprit is found out, he will be punished. If not, the murderer lives and more importantly, leaves!”

“And how do you propose we go about this?” asked Yutaka. “Don’t you think the ones who need to find out who the killer is are at a disadvantage?”

“In due time, Mr. CEO,” replied Monobear. “Unless you’re itching to kill right now.”

“Preposterous!” There was no visible change in the entrepreneur’s demeanor despite the bear’s claim. “Human life isn’t so cheap you can take it away on a whim.”

“How very chivalrous of you,” said Monobear. “But can you really say the same of your fellow passengers?”

At once, everyone glanced at each other suspiciously, like a murderer was already amongst them. Just one simple question had already put a great divide on the group. No one dared to speak.

“The way I see it…” Monokuma was the one who broke the silence. “You have two options. Create the perfect murder or live the rest of your lives in relative pleasure in our destination-less luxury cruise.”

“The hell with that!” exclaimed Toya. “You’re just trapping us all here like rats in a cage!”

“A very comfortable, very habitable cage,” corrected Monokuma. “You will have your own relaxing cabins, you’ve got places to eat with unlimited supply of food, high-end facilities such as a spa, a gym, a-”

“But what about Hope’s Peak?” asked Kyou. “What about getting an education?”

“Education?” Monobear chuckled. “Pfft, big deal! As if you brats really wanted to go!” There were some furtive glances when this statement was dropped, but Seiji was too confused to care. “School is overrated, you know! Why learn things you wouldn’t be using in the future? Life is better spent in eternal bliss!”

“So that’s what you’re offering here?” Fuyo’s angry voice made the rest look up. “Eternal bliss? Don’t make me laugh!”

“I was honestly not trying to,” said Monobear innocently.

“You’re sick!” yelled Fuyo. “We’re not going to play this game of yours!”

“Speak for yourself, Miss Legless,” taunted Monobear. “Who’re you to say you know what the rest wants? Who else do you think shares the same misguided sentiment?”

“Me, at least,” said Seiji. Hearing the figure skater stand up to the sadistic stuffed toy ignited his spirits. “We’ll make sure that nothing goes as you planned.”

“What makes you think I planned any of this?”

“There’s definitely someone controlling you,” declared Seiji. It was the most logical solution to this predicament. “And you can bet I will be doing all I can to figure out who it is!”

“Bring it on, puzzle-man!” said Monobear confidently. “But trust me when I say this – corpses will appear sooner or later. They always do! _Upupupupupupupu_!”

Monobear’s bizarre laugh was the last thing they heard from him. He suddenly jumped back and disappeared, along with the dozens of Monosailors that had kept Ayano on the ground all this time. Even though he was gone, his laughter echoed all over the room, until he spoke his final words for the day.

_“Thank you for boarding the D-Ship! May you have a wonderful, deliciously despairing stay!”_

**SIXTEEN (16) STUDENTS REMAINING**

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Killing Cruise has begun!
> 
> Anyway, as a reference, I have the following height chart, from tallest to shortest:
> 
> Gora > Saki > Yutaka > Seiji > Toya > Lala > Sango > Fuyo > Reina > Tsubasa > Kaeri > Hayate > Mana > Ayano > Kyou > Ami
> 
> As for age, we have the eldest to youngest:
> 
> Reina (18) > Sango > Tsubasa > Gora > Kaeri > Toya (17) >Yutaka > Lala > Fuyo > Seiji > Saki (16) > Hayate > Ayano > Mana > Ami > Kyou (15)
> 
> Chapter 1 is next. I would normally ask for suggestions for which characters you want to have Free Time with, but I’d like to use it to flesh out the more underdeveloped characters first. I think one of Danganronpa’s finest strengths (especially as a game) is the very good characterization, which made them quite relatable (quirks excepted).
> 
> Anyway, I’ll be updating Chapter 1 Daily Life in bulk, so it might take awhile for the next update. If you enjoy this story or would like to say anything at all, feel free to comment. Adieu for now~


End file.
